Open-circuit System Research Articles

The effects of melatonin and magnesium in a novel supplement delivery system on sleep scores, body composition and metabolism in otherwise healthy individuals with sleep disturbances

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a novel dietary supplement, including melatonin and magnesium, delivered via coffee pods on sleep quality, resting metabolic rate (RMR), and body composition in individuals with poor sleep quality disturbances. Using a double-blinded, randomized, crossover trial, we recruited 35 participants to a 4-week intervention with both supplements (1.9 mg melatonin + 200 mg elemental magnesium before sleep) and placebo conditions, considering a 7d washout period between treatments. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire was applied, RMR (kcal) was measured using indirect calorimetry (canopy ventilated open-circuit system) and body composition was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Decreases in PSQI and anger – hostility scores, as well as in energy intake and fat mass, were observed (p < 0.05) for both conditions, from baseline to the end of each 4-week intervention. Differences between conditions were also observed for these parameters along with energy spent in activity, number of sedentary breaks, sleep efficiency, latency time, time in bed, total sleep time, awakening time, and movement index (p < 0.05) favouring the supplement condition. However, the final PSQI questionnaire scores still indicated poor sleep quality on average (PSQI > 5), in both conditions, with no changes regarding RMR. A melatonin-magnesium supplement, in a coffee pod format, showed improvements in sleep quality in otherwise healthy individuals with sleep disturbances, however PSQI questionnaire scores still indicated poor quality on average (PSQI > 5).

Experimental investigation of the external load effect on thermoelectric generator discharge time in a low power energy harvesting system

Thermoelectric generator systems are often evaluated and studied in open circuit and close circuit modes. In the open circuit case, minimum heat flux passes across the thermoelectric module and the module does not have any thermal losses. Moreover, in the close circuit system, the external consumer is connected to the module and higher heat is pumped from its hot side to cold side. Hence, investigating the effect of external load resistance as the consumer connected to the module on its response is a significant issue in thermoelectric systems. In this study, to evaluate the effect of various consumers (4, 8, 10, 15, 20 and 30 Ω) over the module on discharge time, output voltage and temperature on both sides of the module, thermoelectric systems lacking and containing phase change material as the useful means for energy storage and thermal management of thermoelectric system were designed and exposed to constant heat loads. Results of this study show that the power consumption of the internal resistance of the module (connected to the consumer) led to an increase in the temperature of both sides of the module compared to open circuit systems. Therefore, the thermal balance and temperature distribution over the module changes and more affected. The maximum output power and discharge time were obtained at the external resistance of 4 Ω (close to the average internal resistance of the module) in the studied systems. The phase change material prevented excessive temperature on the hot side during the charging process and provided proper thermal management to enhance voltage generation and discharge time. The thermoelectric generator is an effective technology in starting consumers with low resistance, such as light bulbs and remote controls.

Effects of multiple key factors on the performance of petroleum coke-based constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell

In this study, two constructed wetland-microbial fuel cells (CW-MFC), including a closed-circuit system (CCW-MFC) and an open-circuit system (OCW-MFC) with petroleum coke as electrode and substrate, were constructed to explore the effect of multiple key factors on their operation performances. Compared to a traditional CW, the CCW-MFC system showed better performance, achieving an average removal efficiency of COD, NH4+-N, and TN of 94.49 ± 1.81%, 94.99 ± 4.81%, and 84.67 ± 5.6%, respectively, when the aeration rate, COD concentration, and hydraulic retention time were 0.4 L/min, 300 mg/L, and 3 days. The maximum output voltage (425.2 mV) of the CCW-MFC system was achieved when the aeration rate was 0.2 L/min. In addition, the CCW-MFC system showed a greater denitrification ability due to the higher abundance of Thiothrix that might attract other denitrifying bacteria, such as Methylotenera and Hyphomicrobium, to participate in the denitrifying process, indicating the quorum sensing could be stimulated within the denitrifying microbial community.

Performance and mechanism of constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell systems in treating mariculture wastewater contaminated with antibiotics

Mariculture wastewater has raised great concerns owing to its potential impact on the sustainability of coastal environments and aquaculture practices. In this study, constructed wetlands coupled with microbial fuel cells (CW-MFCs) were constructed to evaluate their ability to treat mariculture wastewater that has been contaminated with antibiotic sulfadiazine (SDZ). The results showed that both open- and closed-circuit CW-MFCs (R1 and R2) had comparable removal efficiencies for NH4+-N, total inorganic nitrogen (TIN), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total phosphorus (TP). Compared with R3, which had no SDZ, R2 was less efficient at removing NH4+-N and TP, and also presented inhibited electricity generation. R2 in closed-circuit mode was more efficient at removing SDZ than R1 in open-circuit mode. However, R2 also had a higher relative abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the anode region and cathode effluent than R1, indicating that the closed-circuit CW-MFC system was inferior to the open-circuit system in controlling ARGs. High-throughput sequencing analysis suggested that the presence of SDZ and being in closed-circuit mode both increased the diversity of the microbial community, which in turn led to changes in the removal efficiency of SDZ and the system’s ability to generate electricity. The potential hosts of the three ARGs at the phylum level were mainly from Proteobacteria, Desulfobacterota, Patescibacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, and Spirochaetota. Notably, some genera related to sulfur transformation in Desulfobacterota showed strong positive correlations with ARGs. This study is beneficial to expand the application of CW-MFCs in the treatment of antibiotic-contaminated mariculture wastewater.

Single-breath oxygen dilution for the measurement of total lung capacity: technical description and preliminary results in healthy subjects

Objective. Total lung capacity (TLC) assessment outside of a research laboratory is challenging. We describe a novel method for measuring TLC that is both simple and based only on portable equipment, and report preliminary data in healthy subjects. Approach. We developed an open circuit system to administer a known amount of oxygen to a subject in a single maximal inspiratory maneuver. Oxygen fraction, expired and inspired flows were continuously monitored to allow a precise computation of the mass balance. Values of TLC and functional residual capacity (FRC) were compared with standard methods (body plethysmography and multiple-breath helium dilution). Twenty healthy subjects participated to the study, eleven of which performed the maneuver twice to assess test-retest reliability. Main results. There was high agreement in TLC between the proposed method and the two standard methods (R 2 > 0.98, bias not different from 0, and 95% limits of agreements <± 0.4 l for both). Test-retest reliability was high (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.99 and no bias). Results were similar for FRC, with a slightly higher variability due its sensitivity to changes in posture or breathing pattern. Significance. Single-breath oxygen dilution is accurate and reliable in assessing TLC and FRC in healthy subjects. The technique is appealing for time- or resource-limited settings, such as field physiological research expeditions or mass screenings.

A neutral red mediated electro-fermentation system of Clostridium beijerinckii for effective co-production of butanol and hydrogen

To enhance the co-production of butanol and hydrogen by the acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation of Clostridium beijerinckii, a novel cathodic electro-fermentation (CEF) system was constructed with neutral red (NR) as electron mediator. With the mediation of NR, production of butanol and hydrogen from glucose in the CEF system achieved 5.49 ± 0.28 g/L and 3.74 ± 0.16 L/L, 569.5% and 325.0% higher than that in the open circuit (OC) system, respectively. The butanol and hydrogen yield of 0.30 ± 0.02 g/g and 206.53 ± 8.20 mL/g was 172.7% and 71.4% higher than that in the OC system, respectively. The effective co-production of butanol and hydrogen in the NR-mediated CEF system was attributed to the cooperation of the introduced polarized electrode and the additional NR. With the control of the polarized electrode, a feasible ORP was available for the effective hydrogen production. And the additional NR had induced more carbon source and electrons to the synthesis of butanol.

Degradation of sulfadiazine and electricity generation from wastewater using Bacillus subtilis EL06 integrated with an open circuit system

Antibiotics are one of the emerging pollutants that have drawn increased attention in recent years. In this study simultaneous production of electricity and bioremediation of sulfadiazine from the wastewater using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and open circuit system were analyzed. LC-MS analysis revealed decreased sulfadiazine concentration in open circuit system and closed MFC chamber. In MFCs, 12.6 ± 1.3% removal efficiency of sulfadiazine was reached after 30 h and it improved 89.2 ± 2.1% after 100 h. The initial sulfadiazine concentration influenced on antibiotic removal in MFCs and antibiotic removal was increased up to 350 μg/L. At higher antibiotic concentration, reduced microbial activity results depleted antibiotic degradation. MFCs degraded sulfadiazine (350 μg/L) completely within 80 h of treatment. The maximum COD removal (91.9 ± 2.3%) was obtained in MFCs chamber and it was about 60.8 ± 2.7% in the open circuit chamber. The initial total phosphorus content of the wastewater fed with reactor was 1350 mg/L and it reduced considerably after treatment in MFCs system (89.9 ± 2.8%). Total microbial population was 4.5 × 105 CFU/mL after one day of treatment and it declined after five days due to the depletion of nutrients in the wastewater. In MFC electricity generation reached maximum within 60 h of treatment (1.28 ± 0.1 V). The electrogenic strain Bacillus subtilis EL06 was characterized from the MFC and sulfadiazine tolerance was analyzed. These findings demonstrated that MFCs are useful for the simultaneous bioremediation of wastewater and electricity generation.

A cathodic electro-fermentation system for enhancing butyric acid production from rice straw with a mixed culture

Bio-electrochemical system (BES) emerges as a versatile approach to handling environmental problems with the harvest of sustainable energy and value-added chemicals. To enhance the butyric acid production from rice straw, microbial fuel cell (MFC) and cathodic electro-fermentation (CEF) systems were constructed in this study. Inoculated with the same mixed culture, fermentative butyric acid production efficiency of the two BESs were evaluated with/without neutral red (NR) as electron mediator, respectively. It was found that the butyric acid fermentation efficiency in the MFC system was inefficient. While, the CEF system presented an evident positive effect on butyric acid production. The production and specific yield of butyric acid in the CEF system reached 5.54 g/L and 0.41 g/g, higher than that in the open circuit (OC) system by 17.37% and 28.13%, respectively. Mass percentage of butyric acid in the produced total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) was also increased from 44.74% to 52.76%. The addition of NR had no positive effect on the butyric acid production, due to the low contribution of electric current to the end-products. With the cathode potential of −0.80 V (vs Ag/AgCl), relative abundance of the butyric acid fermenting bacteria (Clostridium cluster IV and cluster XIVa) in the microbial mixture was increased from 20.25% in the OC system to 33.61% in the CEF system. This research work not only presents a novel method for enhancing butyric acid production by rice straw fermentation, but also aids an understanding of the fermentation mechanism in CEF systems.

Simultaneous Domestic Wastewater Treatment and Electricity Generation in Microbial Fuel Cell with Mn(IV) Oxide Addition

AbstractCompared to traditional domestic wastewater treatment methods, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) with Manganese(IV) (Mn(IV)) oxide addition were established to promote the degradation efficiency of organics in domestic wastewater and generate electricity simultaneously. Activated sludge consists of various electricigen and Mn(IV) oxide acts as an excellent electron acceptor. Results showed that the MFC with Mn(IV) oxide addition obtained higher total organic carbon and chemical oxygen demand removal efficiencies in domestic wastewater than without Mn(IV) oxide addition and in an open circuit system, and produced a maximum output power density of 0.946 W m−3 with a corresponding maximum voltage density of 0.915 V L−1. Cyclic Voltammograms (CVs) indicated that the current density of the MFC with Mn(IV) oxide addition reached 2.21 mA cm−2 at the peak separation of 0.26 V, whereas the current density of the MFC only was up to 1.15 mA cm−2 at 0.443 V. Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV) showed the half‐wave potential and limiting current density of the MFC with Mn(IV) oxide addition as 71 mV and 4.24 mA cm2 respectively, which were higher than corresponding values (36 mV and 3.65 mA cm−2) of the MFC. Tafel curves illustrated the MFC with Mn(IV) oxide addition showed a lower anodic Tafel slope of 6.14±0.393 V−1, confirming the MFC with Mn(IV) oxide addition enabled faster electron‐transfer kinetics as compared to the MFC.

A hybrid control system for investigating a high level of decision in IoT

&lt;span lang="IN"&gt;In the modern world, the search started for cheap and efficient operating system sources has begun can converted to civilian ends&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="IN"&gt; Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the most realistic applications for remote control and remote management using a wide network.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="EN"&gt;In this paper, a control system is designed and built to manage and control traffic lights and street lighting systems, as well as turning on/off generators in a small virtual environment.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; This was implemented by designing and building a hybrid electronic circuit that combines the closed-circuit control system and the open circuit system. The closed circuit regulates the system according to the desired condition without operator interaction; while the open circuit operates on demand. This type of a hybrid control system demonstrated its high flexibility by controlling devices and its high efficiency compared to the closed circuit and the open circuit system independently. It also helps reduce the number of maintenance guys and energy consumption as well as the cost.&lt;/span&gt;

Genome Analysis of a Marine Bacterium Halomonas sp. and Its Role in Nitrate Reduction under the Influence of Photoelectrons

The solar light response and photoelectrons produced by widespread semiconducting mineral play important roles in biogeochemical cycles on Earth’s surface. To explore the potential influence of photoelectrons generated by semiconducting mineral particles on nitrate-reducing microorganisms in the photic zone, a marine heterotrophic denitrifier Halomonas sp. strain 3727 was isolated from seawater in the photic zone of the Yellow Sea, China. This strain was classified as a Halomonadaceae. Whole-genome analysis indicated that this strain possessed genes encoding the nitrogen metabolism, i.e., narG, nasA, nirBD, norZ, nosB, and nxr, which sustained dissimilatory nitrate reduction, assimilatory nitrate reduction, and nitrite oxidation. This strain also possessed genes related to carbon, sulfur, and other metabolisms, hinting at its substantial metabolic flexibility. A series of microcosm experiments in a simulative photoelectron system was conducted, and the results suggested that this bacterial strain could use simulated photoelectrons with different energy for nitrate reduction. Nitrite, as an intermediate product, was accumulated during the nitrate reduction with limited ammonia residue. The nitrite and ammonia productions differed with or without different energy electron supplies. Nitrite was the main product accounting for 30.03% to 68.40% of the total nitrogen in photoelectron supplement systems, and ammonia accounted for 3.77% to 8.52%. However, in open-circuit systems, nitrite and ammonia proportions were 26.77% and 11.17%, respectively, and nitrogen loss in the liquid was not observed. This study reveals that photoelectrons can serve as electron donors for nitrogen transformation mediated by Halomonas sp. strain 3727, which reveals an underlying impact on the nitrogen biogeochemical cycle in the marine photic zone.

The Relation Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness And Cerebral Blood Flow Regulation

Contradictory relationships have been reported between cardiorespiratory fitness levels and cerebral blood flow regulation. Some studies report an inverse relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide (CO2), and an inverse relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and dynamic cerebral autoregulation. Other studies have found a positive relationship. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the relation between objectively measured cardiorespiratory fitness and cerebrovascular reactivity to CO2 and to dynamic cerebral autoregulation. METHODS: Twenty-three healthy, normotensive adults (13M/10F; age: 26±4 yrs; BMI: 24±5 kg/m2; BP: 105±9/58±6 mmHg, mean±SD) participated in this study. Mean VO2 max was 40.0±9.7 ml/kg/min (range, 17.9-62.3 ml/kg/min). Each participant completed a maximal graded exercise test on a treadmill until volitional fatigue. Heart rate was measured using a heart rate monitor (Polar H7, Polar, USA). Oxygen consumption and CO2 production were measured and averaged in 15-second intervals using indirect calorimetry via an automated open circuit system (Parvo Medics, Sandy, UT) throughout the exercise test. Transcranial Doppler of the right middle cerebral artery was measured. We measured cerebrovascular reactivity to two minutes of hypercapnia (via 8% CO2, 21% oxygen, balance nitrogen). We assessed dynamic cerebral autoregulation during eight minutes of supine rest. The relation between cerebral blood flow regulation and cardiorespiratory fitness were analyzed using Pearson’s correlations. RESULTS: Cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia was not significantly correlated with cardiorespiratory fitness (r=0.35, P=0.10). There was no correlation with cardiorespiratory fitness in very low frequency gain (r=-0.22, P=0.92) or phase (r=-0.03, P=0.87). There was no correlation with cardiorespiratory fitness and low frequency gain (r=0.3, P=0.13). Interestingly, low frequency phase was inversely correlated with cardiorespiratory fitness (r=-0.4, P=0.04). CONCLUSION: These preliminary data suggest that cardiorespiratory fitness may not impact cerebrovascular reactivity to hypercapnia. However, a relation may exist between cardiorespiratory fitness and dynamic cerebral autoregulation.

Hypoxic Exposure Increases Energy Expenditure by Increasing Carbohydrate Oxidation in Mice

Aims. Hypoxic exposure improves glucose metabolism. We investigated to validate the hypothesis that carbohydrate (CHO) oxidation could increase in mice exposed to severe hypoxic conditions.Methods. Seven-week-old male ICR mice (n=16) were randomly divided into two groups: the control group (CON) was kept in normoxic condition (fraction of inspiredO2=21%) and the hypoxia group (HYP) was exposed to hypoxic condition (fraction of inspiredO2=12%, ≈altitude of 4,300 m). The CON group was pair-fed with the HYP group. After 3 weeks of hypoxic exposure, we measured respiratory metabolism (energy expenditure and substrate utilization) at normoxic conditions for 24 hours using an open-circuit calorimetry system. In addition, we investigated changes in carbohydrate mechanism-related protein expression, including hexokinase 2 (HK2), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4), and regulator of the genes involved in energy metabolism (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha, PGC1α) in soleus muscle.Results. Energy expenditure (EE) and CHO oxidation over 24 hours were higher in the HYP group by approximately 15% and 34% (p&lt;0.001), respectively. Fat oxidation was approximately 29% lower in the HYP group than the CON group (p&lt;0.01). Body weight gains were significantly lower in the HYP group than in the CON group (CON vs. HYP;1.9±0.9vs.−0.3±0.9;p&lt;0.001). Hypoxic exposure for 3 weeks significantly reduced body fat by approximately 42% (p&lt;0.001). PDH and PGC1αprotein levels were significantly higher in the HYP group (p&lt;0.05). Additionally, HK2 was approximately 21% higher in the HYP group.Conclusions. Hypoxic exposure might significantly enhance CHO oxidation by increasing the expression of PDH and HK2. This investigation can be useful for patients with impaired glucose metabolism, such as those with type 2 diabetes.

Stratified microbial structure and activity within anode biofilm during electrochemically assisted brewery wastewater treatment.

In a bioelectrochemical system (BES), microbial community of anode biofilm is crucial to BES performance. In this study, the stratified pattern of community structure and activity of an anode-respiring biofilm in a BES fueled with brewery wastewater was investigated over time. The anode biofilm exhibited a superior performance in the removal of ethanol to that of an open-circuit system. The electrical current density reached a high level of 0.55mA/cm2 with a Coulombic efficiency of 71.4%, but decreased to 0.18mA/cm2 in the late stage of operation. A mature biofilm developed a more active outer layer covering a less active inner core, although the activities of the outer and inner layers of biofilm were similar in the early stage. More Geobacter spp., typical exoelectrogens, were enriched in the outer layer than in the inner layer of biofilm in the early stage, while more Geobacter spp. were distributed in the inner layer than in the outer layer in the late stage. The inactive and Geobacter-occupied inner layer of biofilm might be responsible for the decreased electricity generation from wastewater in the late stage of operation. This study provides better understanding of the effect of anode biofilm structure on BES performance.

Theory and Application of the Internal Leakage Detection of Open-Circuit Hydraulic Systems Based on Active Hydraulic Test Technology

Abstract With the rapid development of hydraulic technology, hydraulic systems have become more complex, and the detection of internal leakage is becoming more and more difficult. A fast and accurate approach is required to detect the internal leakage of a hydraulic system. This article describes the theory and application of the internal leakage detection of open-circuit hydraulic systems based on Active Hydraulic Test Technology. The theory of Active Hydraulic Test Technology is introduced, a leakage model and an online detection model of an open-circuit hydraulic system are established, and the total leakage of the hydraulic system is theoretically analyzed. A theoretical analysis of the leakage test method for the main control oil circuit and branch components is also conducted. Through applied research on a hydraulic system of a 1,250-ton forging machine, the effectiveness of the method for detecting the internal leakage fault of a complex hydraulic system is verified.

Constructed wetland–microbial fuel cell for azo dyes degradation and energy recovery: Influence of molecular structure, kinetics, mechanisms and degradation pathways

Complete degradation of azo dye has always been a challenge due to the refractory nature of azo dye. An innovative hybrid system, constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC) was developed for simultaneous azo dye remediation and energy recovery. This study investigated the effect of circuit connection and the influence of azo dye molecular structures on the degradation rate of azo dye and bioelectricity generation. The closed circuit system exhibited higher chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and decolourisation efficiencies compared to the open circuit system. The wastewater treatment performances of different operating systems were ranked in the decreasing order of CW-MFC (R1 planted-closed circuit) > MFC (R2 plant-free-closed circuit) > CW (R1 planted-open circuit) > bioreactor (R2 plant-free-open circuit). The highest decolourisation rate was achieved by Acid Red 18 (AR18), 96%, followed by Acid Orange 7 (AO7), 67% and Congo Red (CR), 60%. The voltage outputs of the three azo dyes were ranked in the decreasing order of AR18 > AO7 > CR. The results disclosed that the decolourisation performance was significantly influenced by the azo dye structure and the moieties at the proximity of azo bond; the naphthol type azo dye with a lower number of azo bond and more electron-withdrawing groups could cause azo bond to be more electrophilic and more reductive for decolourisation. Moreover, the degradation pathway of AR18, AO7 and CR were elucidated based on the respective dye intermediate products identified through UV–Vis spectrophotometry, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC–MS) analyses. The CW-MFC system demonstrated high capability of decolouring azo dyes at the anaerobic anodic region and further mineralising dye intermediates at the aerobic cathodic region to less harmful or non-toxic products.

Adaptive Robust Motion Control of a Pump Direct Drive Electro-hydraulic System with Meter-Out Pressure Regulation

In industry, pump-controlled hydraulic systems are generally considered energy efficient but are not accurate due to their inherent characteristics such as low response frequencies, thus pump control hydraulic systems have been traditionally applied in situations that require high power but limited accuracy. Besides, for the conventional pump-controlled cylinder systems, especially open-circuit systems, the cylinder vibration and cavitation may result due to the negative load when the cylinder moves with a high deceleration trajectory. Therefore, it is difficult to simultaneously keep the advantages of energy-saving and high motion tracking accuracy. This paper proposes a novel control strategy for a servo motor-pump and proportional valves combination control system. The cylinder is directly driven by a variable speed pump to give full play to the advantage of energy-saving by pump control. The meter-out pressure is controlled by proportional valves to provide the required resistance for motion tracking. A pressure regulation method is proposed, consisting of an optimized meter-out pressure planning and a pressure tracking controller. Both the pump controller and the meter-out pressure controller use the adaptive robust control (ARC) algorithm to achieve high motion control accuracy.

Simultaneous nitrification and denitrification in the bio-cathode of a multi-anode microbial fuel cell

ABSTRACT A multi-anode microbial fuel cell (MA-MFC) was developed to investigate simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) in the bio-cathode. As the chemical oxygen demand to nitrogen (COD/N) ratio of the cathode was increased from 0 to 4.5, the electricity-producing quantity ranged between 498 and 543 C and the attained total nitrogen (TN) removal rate reached 12.07 g TN·m−3·d−1, resulting in a TN removal efficiency of 78.8% under the target COD/N ratio of 3.5. The removal of pollutants in series and parallel, open-circuit and closed-circuit were compared, respectively. The removal rates of TN, , and cathode and anode COD were all higher in the parallel connection configuration than in the series configuration. In parallel connection, the TN removal rate reached 14.4 g TN·m−3·d−1, which was 1.9 times that in series connection. Compared with the open-circuit system, the removal rate of TN in the closed-circuit system was improved by 17.8%, which could be ascribed to electrochemical denitrification. The results of high-throughput sequencing confirmed and clarified the presence of autotrophic denitrification and heterotrophic denitrification, including aerobic denitrification, when the MA-MFC had been operated for 18 months.

RESTING ENERGY EXPENDITURE IN BOYS WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DISTROPHY: WHICH IS THE BEST PREDICTIVE FORMULA?

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most prevalent dystrophy. A range of nutritional status derangements, varying from over nutrition to under nutrition, occurs with disease progression. The estimation of resting energy expenditure (REE) is the first step towards a personalized nutritional intervention, but indirect calorimetry (IC), the reference method, is available only in advanced clinical centers, and prediction formulas (PFs) are used in clinical practice. For this purpose, we compared the existing PFs for REE to identify the most accurate in DMD patients. We performed IC on 26 DMD patients (mean age 10.38±5.06) with an open-circuit ventilated-hood system (Sensor Medics 29, Anaheim, CA, USA). Patients were fasted for at least 6h. Data collection time was at least 20 min, with a 5 min run-in time for stabilization. Than we compared the results of IC with the PFs. Differences between IC vs PFs are shown on Table 1. The most accurate of PFs is Muller et Al. which has a delta

Dynamic Conditions for a Three-level LLC Converter with a Phase-Pulse Control

Usually, parametric synthesis of controllers for a closed control system is carried out for nominal conditions, and then the source performance for other load resistance values is estimated. As a result, the control system may not always provide the sufficient mode stabilization with a changing load resistance value. The paper suggests an alternative version. It deals with estimation of dynamic transient responses for the required mode parameter in an open-circuit system as well as with determination of transfer functions and the controller parameters for the most complicated version of transient response curves. The paper presents the results of simulation modelling of dynamic operating conditions for LLC converter using Simulink Matlab as well as load characteristics for three versions of a closed control system.