In this article, size-dependent thermal buckling and postbuckling behavior of a functionally graded circular microplate under uniform temperature rise field and clamped boundary conditions is ...investigated. Material properties are assumed to gradually vary through the thickness according to a simple power law. Equilibrium equations and associated boundary conditions are derived using variational method and based on modified couple stress theory, classical plate theory and von Kármán geometric nonlinearity. The differential quadrature method is used to discretize the governing equations. This technique is accompanied by an iterative method to determine the thermal postbuckling behavior of microplate. Finally, effects of length scale parameter, power law index and ratio of thickness to radius on the thermal buckling and postbuckling behavior of FG circular microplate are investigated.
•Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a reliable predictor of the superovulation capacity in dromedary camels.•Circulating AMH concentrations are highly repeatable in each individual camel.•Embryo donors ...can be categorized more subjectively by AMH measurement into high and low responders.
Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has a conserved role in regulating the reproductive cycle in several species. Its circulating concentration reflects the size of the growing primordial follicle reserve and is a reliable predictor of superovulation response in embryo/oocyte donors. This study investigated the possible application of AMH measurement in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) multiple ovulation embryo transfer programs. In experiment 1, the follicular cycle of synchronized and naturally cycling camels (n = 12) was monitored. Blood was collected at 6 timepoints in 2 consecutive cycles corresponding to emergence, mid-cycle, and dominance in both group and hormonal fluctuations were evaluated for repeatability of measurements within and between cycles. In experiment 2, the correlation between circulating AMH concentrations prior to initiation of superovulation and the outcome of superovulation was evaluated. The results were compared between donors with higher (n = 7) and lower than median (n = 8) AMH values. Mean AMH concentrations in synchronized and non-synchronized camels were 1.46 ± 0.15 and 0.95 ± 0.09, respectively. Intercycle and intracycle values of AMH showed high repeatability in camels of both groups (>96.4% and >92.74%, respectively) with significant correlations between values at different stages of the ovarian cycle (Emergence and mid-cycle: R2 = 0.82; emergence and. dominance: R2 = 0.86; Mid-cycle and dominance: R2 = 0.93, P < 0.05). Total follicles, CLs, and recovered embryos were highly correlated with AMH values prior to superovulation (R2 = 0.64, R2 = 0.77, and R2 = 0.64, respectively, P < 0.05). A greater number of developed follicles prior to mating (17.00 ± 2.09 vs. 7.62 ± 1.06), CLs (12.58 ± 1.36 vs. 5.12 ± 0.93), transferable (10.85 ± 1,31 vs. 3.37 ± 0.82), and spherical embryos (8.14 ± 1.07 vs. 2.62 ± 0.7) were observed in camels with higher than median concentrations of AMH (P < 0.05). Fluctuations in estradiol and progesterone did not affect variations in mean AMH values (r2 < 0.19 and r2 < 0.24, respectively, P > 0.05). In conclusion, highly consistent AMH values in dromedary camels are a reliable predictor of superovulation response and outcome in dromedary camels.
Despite practical implication of cloning in camelids, its broad application has been hampered by technical and biological problems. Method of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and oocyte ...competence are the principal technical and biological factors, respectively, that determine the cloning efficiency. This study, therefore, investigated differential contributions of two SCNT methods modified handmade cloning (mHMC)
vs.
conventional (cNT) and two recipient oocyte sources abattoir-derived (Vitro)
vs.
FSH-stimulated (Vivo) on the efficiency of dromedary camel cloning. The mHMC method supported similar rates of fusion, cleavage, and total blastocyst development, compared to conventional NT (cNT) (94, 89.1, and 68.5% vs. 78.9, 92, and 73.5%, respectively) when Vivo oocytes are used. However, using Vitro oocytes, mHMC supported significantly higher rates for these criteria, except for the cleavage, compared to cNT (95.5, 76.2, 25.2% vs. 75.3, 76.7, and 13.9%, respectively). A total of seven clones were born from mHMC/Vitro (four calves), mHMC/Vivo (one calf), cNT/Vitro (one calf), and mHMC/Vivo&Vivo (one calf)-derived embryos with overall efficiencies of 31.9, 26.6, 20, and 30% for initial pregnancy, 10.6, 6.6, 7.5, and 5% for development to term, and 8.5, 6.6, 2.5, 5% for development to weaving, respectively. To conclude, the quality of recipient oocyte greatly impacts cloning efficiency in vitro with no apparent carrying over effect on cloning efficiency in vivo, but the efficiency of SCNT method may compensate for the initial poor oocyte competence during in vitro and in vivo development of cloned embryos. The introduced mHMC could be a superior alternative to conventional method for simple, fast, and efficient production of cloned offspring in camelids.
This brief proposes the use of upcoming traffic signal information within the vehicle's adaptive cruise control system to reduce idle time at stop lights and fuel consumption. To achieve this goal an ...optimization-based control algorithm is formulated that uses short range radar and traffic signal information predictively to schedule an optimum velocity trajectory for the vehicle. The control objectives are: timely arrival at green light with minimal use of braking, maintaining safe distance between vehicles, and cruising at or near set speed. Three example simulation case studies are presented to demonstrate the potential impact on fuel economy, emission levels, and trip time.
Suppose that Z is a locally compact Hausdorff space and are -module maps between Hilbert -modules such that for every , implies . Then there exists a bounded complex-valued function φ on Z that is ...continuous on and satisfies .
Nuclear magnetic resonance measurement (NMR) is an important technology to assess the characteristics of oil reservoirs which provides information on the type of fluid in the formation. The analysis ...by logging tool is based on using relaxation time measurements to understand the structure of the reservoir. In this research, the Computer Simulation Technology (CST) software is used to design a typical permanent magnet for NMR device and simulate it for different types of materials and different dimensions. The effects of temperature inside the well along with the magnetic response of the magnet which is a very important and effective parameter in well logging were considered. In addition, the effects of the cement wall on the field were studied. Due to the fact that the relative magnetic coefficient of ferrite material is in the range of 1.45 to 1.65, the effects of this parameter in the field of magnets have been investigated. Increasing the relative magnetic permeability coefficient reduces the amount of magnetic field in the considered depth. The influence of the magnet radius in the produced field has also been analyzed which indicates that, with a 6-inch diameter device, the penetration depth was greater than that using a similar 4.5-inch tool, thus making it an efficient tool for investigating the depth of the formation.
A consistent event-triggered control (ETC) policy is defined as a policy that outperforms the performance of periodic control for the same average transmission rate and does not generate ...transmissions in the absence of disturbances. In this letter, we propose a threshold-based policy for periodic ETC that is consistent. Simulation results illustrate the strengths of the proposed method.
There is a clinical demand for efficient cryopreservation of cloned camel embryos with considerable logistic and economic advantage. Vitrification of in vivo derived embryos has been reported in ...camels, but there is no study on vitrification of cloned embryos. Moreover, whether characteristic differences between cloned and in vivo derived embryos imply different vitrification requirement is unresolved. Here, we compared survival, re-expansion and pregnancy rates of cloned embryos vitrified using two commercial vitrification kits (Cryotec and Kitazato), developed basically for human embryos, and a vitrification protocol developed for in vivo camel embryos (CVP). Cloned embryos responded dynamically to vitrification-warming steps in commercial kits, with a flat shrinkage in the final vitrification solution and a quick re-expansion to the original volume immediately after transferring to the isotonic warming solution. Contrarily, full shrinkage was not observed in CVP method, and majority of embryos were still collapsed post-warming. The immediate re-expansion was highly associated and predictive of higher survival and total cell number, and also better redox state of embryos vitrified by Cryotec and Kitazato kits compared to CVP method. Importantly, while 30% blastomere loss, verified by differential dye exclusion test, was tolerated in vitrified embryos, >50% blastomeres loss in non-expanded blastocysts implied the minimal essential cell survival rate for blastocoelic cavity re-expansion in vitrified cloned camel blastocysts, irrespective of vitrification method. A protocol-based exposure of embryos to cryoprotectants indicated that cryoprotectant toxicity, per se, may not be involved in lower cryosurvival of embryos in CVP vs. Cryotec and Kitazato. The initial pregnancy rates were numerically higher in Cryotec and Kitazato frozen transfers compared to fresh transfer (56.3, 60 and 33.3%, respectively), and importantly, a higher percentage of established pregnancies in vitrified groups passed the critical 3 months period of early embryonic loss compared to sibling fresh clone pregnancies (50, 40, and 10%, respectively). Results confirmed the suitability of Cryotec and Kitazato kits for vitrification of cloned camel embryos and that vitrification may improve pregnancy outcome by weeding out poor competent embryos.
•A 30% blastomere loss may be tolerated in vitrified cloned camel embryos.•A >50% blastomere loss may not be tolerated in vitrified cloned camel embryos.•Immediate re-expansion is predictive of survival of vitrified cloned camel embryos.•Vitrification solutions developed for in vivo embryos may not be appropriate for in vitro embryos.•Vitrification improves the pregnancy outcome of cloned camel embryos.
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