An Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm is proposed for optimal tree-structured natural gas distribution network. Design of pipelines, facilities, and equipment systems are necessary tasks to configure an optimal natural gas network. A mixed integer programming model is formulated to minimize the total cost in the network. The aim is to optimize pipe diameter sizes so that the location-alloc...

Changes in the physicochemical conditions of process unit, even under control, may lead to what are generically referred to as faults. The cognition of causes is very important, because the system can be diagnosed and fault tolerated. In this article, we discuss and propose an artificial neural network that can detect the incipient and gradual faults either individually or mutually. The mai...

Despite decades of research many aspects of the biology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis remain unclear and this is reflected in the antiquated tools available to treat and prevent tuberculosis and consequently this disease remains a serious public health problem. Important discoveries linking M. tuberculosis's metabolism and pathogenesis have renewed interest in this area of research. Previous ex...

Members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) cause tuberculosis (TB) in both animals and humans. In this article, three animal-adapted MTC strains that are endemic to the southern African subregion - that is, Mycobacterium suricattae, Mycobacterium mungi, and the dassie bacillus - are reviewed with a focus on clinical and pathological presentations, geographic distribution, genotypin...

A prospective study of false-positive cultures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis that resulted from laboratory cross-contamination was conducted at three laboratories in California. Laboratory cross-contamination accounted for 2% of the positive cultures. Cross-contamination should be a concern when an isolate matches the genotype of another sample processed during the same period.

We have explored the added value of interferon-γ (IFNγ)-inducible protein 10 as a read-out of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific immunity in young Indian children, where the sensitivity of the IFNγ release assays for tuberculosis is poor. Reduced frequency of indeterminate results and an increased sensitivity for tuberculosis suggest a potential for fewer missed cases with a combined IFNγ/indu...

Here, we present the case of a 51-year-old man with limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT). The patient was diagnosed as having LS-SCLC with an endobronchial mass in the left main bronchus. Following concurrent chemoradiotherapy, a mass remaining in the left lingular division was treated with PDT. Clinical and hist...

BACKGROUND Bedside diagnosis of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) continues to be important, especially when echocardiography is not readily available. OBJECTIVE The aim of our study was to evaluate whether measurement of left main bronchus displacement portrayed on a chest X-ray as a widened carina angle (CA) may support the presumptive diagnosis of PDA. METHODS Displacement of the left bronc...

Background, methods and results We report herein the cases of two patients with bronchial carcinomas in the left main bronchus who were successfully treated by left sleeve pneumonectomy performed through a sternotomy incision for the first time in Bulgaria. Adequate oxygenation during tracheobronchial anastomoses was achieved by cardiopulmonary bypass in both patients. Tracheobronchial anastomo...