Computer program for the design of axial-flow turbines

Computer program, capable of analyzing single and multispool units, computes absolute and relative flow fields within the turbine at the first stator inlet, at each interblade row plane, and at the final rotor exit. No simplifying assumptions are made which would result in restrictive design

The analysis of geometry and design-point performance of axial-flow turbines using specified meridional velocity gradients. Part 2 - Design examples

Computer program for design of axial flow turbines with velocity distribution gradients at stator and rotor exit

Analysis of geometry and design point performance of axial flow turbines. Part 3 - Design analysis of selected examples Final report

Computerized design of axial flow turbines using stream filament approach to design specification

Analysis of geometry and design point performance of axial flow turbines. 1 - Development of the analysis method and the loss coefficient correlation

Stream-filament analysis procedure and correlation of total pressure loss coefficients to form basis of computer program to investigate design point performance of axial turbine

Rifampin monotherapy for children with idiopathic infantile hypercalcemia

Idiopathic Infantile Hypercalcemia (IIH) is characterized by hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria owing to PTH-independent increases in circulating concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D. At least 3 forms of IHH can be distinguished genetically and mechanistically: infantile hypercalcemia-1 (Hypercalcemia, Infantile, 1; HCINF1) due to CYP24A1 mutations results in decreased inactivation of 1,25(OH)2D; HCINF2 due to SLC34A1 mutations results in excessive 1,25(OH)2D production; and HCINF3 in which a variety of gene variants of uncertain significance (VUS) have been identified and where the mechanism for increased 1,25 (OH)2D is unclear. Conventional management with dietary calcium and vitamin D restriction has only limited success. Induction of the P450 enzyme CYP3A4 by rifampin can provide an alternate pathway for inactivation of 1,25(OH)2D that is useful in HCINF1 and may be effective in other forms of IIH. We sought to assess the efficacy of rifampin to decrease levels of serum 1,25(OH)2D and calcium, and urinary calcium concentrations in subjects with HCINF3, and to compare the response to a control subject with HCINF1. Four subjects with HCINF3 and the control subject with HCINF1 completed the study using rifampin 5 mg/kg/day and 10 mg/kg/day each for 2 months separated by a 2-month washout period. Patients had age-appropriate intake of dietary calcium plus 200 IU vitamin D/day. Primary outcome was efficacy of rifampin to lower serum concentrations of 1,25(OH)2D. The secondary outcomes included the reduction of serum calcium, urinary calcium excretion (as random urine calcium: creatinine (ca:cr) ratio) and serum 1,25(OH)2D/PTH ratio. Rifampin was well tolerated and induced CYP3A4 at both doses in all subjects. The control subject with HCINF1 showed significant response to both rifampin doses with decreases in the serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D and the 1,25(OH)2D/PTH ratio while the serum and urine ca:cr levels were unchanged. The four patients with HCINF3 showed reductions in 1,25(OH)2D and urinary ca:cr after 10 mg/kg/d, but hypercalcemia did not improve and there were variable responses in 1,25(OH)2D/PTH ratios. These results support further longer-term studies to clarify the usefulness of rifampin as a medical therapy for IIH

Design and Analysis of Dual Pressure Probes for Predicting Turbulence-Induced Vibration in Low Velocity Flow

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97074/1/AIAA2012-1881.pd

Glycaemic control and risk of incident urinary incontinence in women with Type 1 diabetes: results from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial and Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) study

AimsTo study the impact of glycaemic control on urinary incontinence in women who participated in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT; 1983–1993) and its observational follow‐up study, the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC; 1994–present).MethodsStudy participants were women who completed, at both years 10 (2003) and 17 (2010) of the EDIC follow‐up, the urological assessment questionnaire (UroEDIC). Urinary incontinence was defined as self‐reported involuntary leakage of urine that occurred at least weekly. Incident urinary incontinence was defined as weekly urinary incontinence present at EDIC year 17 but not at EDIC year 10. Multivariable regression models were used to examine the association of incident urinary incontinence with comorbid prevalent conditions and glycaemic control (mean HbA1c over the first 10 years of EDIC).ResultsA total of 64 (15.3%) women with Type 1 diabetes (mean age 43.6 ± 6.3 years at EDIC year 10) reported incident urinary incontinence at EDIC year 17. When adjusted for clinical covariates (including age, DCCT cohort assignment, DCCT treatment arm, BMI, insulin dosage, parity, hysterectomy, autonomic neuropathy and urinary tract infection in the last year), the mean EDIC HbA1c was associated with increased odds of incident urinary incontinence (odds ratio 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.06 per mmol/mol increase; odds ratio 1.41, 95% CI 1.07–1.89 per % HbA1c increase).ConclusionsIncident urinary incontinence was associated with higher HbA1c levels in women with Type 1 diabetes, independent of other recognized risk factors. These results suggest the potential for women to modify their risk of urinary incontinence with improved glycaemic control. (Clinical Trials Registry no: NCT00360815 and NCT00360893).What’s new?Research to date has failed to show an association between glycaemic control and urinary incontinence (UI) in women with diabetes.We examined the relationship between HbA1c and UI using longitudinal data from the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and its observational follow‐up, the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study.Our findings show that the odds of UI increase with poor glycaemic control in women with Type 1 diabetes, independently of other well‐described predictors of UI.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134490/1/dme13126.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134490/2/dme13126_am.pd

MicroRNA expression profile identifies high grade, non-muscle-invasive bladder tumors at elevated risk to progress to an invasive phenotype

Abstract: The objective of this study was to identify a panel of microRNAs (miRNAs) differentially expressed in high-grade non-muscle invasive (NMI; TaG3–T1G3) urothelial carcinoma that progress to muscle-invasive disease compared to those that remain non-muscle invasive, whether recurrence happens or not. Eighty-nine high-grade NMI urothelial carcinoma lesions were identified and total RNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue. Patients were categorized as either having a non-muscle invasive lesion with no evidence of progression over a 3-year period or as having a similar lesion showing progression to muscle invasion over the same period. In addition, comparison of miRNA expression levels between patients with and without prior intravesical therapy was performed. Total RNA was pooled for microarray analysis in each group (non-progressors and progressors), and qRT-PCR of individual samples validated differential expression between non-progressive and progressive lesions. MiR-32-5p, -224-5p, and -412-3p were associated with cancer-specific survival. Downregulation of miR-203a-3p and miR-205-5p were significantly linked to progression in non-muscle invasive bladder tumors. These miRNAs include those implicated in epithelial mesenchymal transition, previously identified as members of a panel characterizing transition from the non-invasive to invasive phenotype in bladder tumors. Furthermore, we were able to identify specific miRNAs that are linked to postoperative outcome in patients with high grade NMI urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) that progressed to muscle-invasive (MI) disease

How to counteract the lack of donor tissue in cardiac surgery? Initial experiences with a newly established homograft procurement program

Homograft heart valves may have significant advantages and are preferred for the repair of congenital valve malformations, especially in young women of childbearing age, athletes and in patients with active endocarditis. A growing problem, however, is the mismatch between tissue donation and the increasing demand. The aim of this paper is to describe the initiation process of a homograft procurement program to attenuate the shortage of organs. A comprehensive description of the infrastructure and procedural steps required to initiate a cardiac and vascular tissue donation program combined with a prospective follow-up of all homografts explanted at our institution. Between January 2020 and May 2022, 28 hearts and 12 pulmonary bifurcations were harvested at our institution and delivered to the European homograft bank. Twenty-seven valves (19 pulmonary valves, 8 aortic valves) were processed and allocated for implantation. The reasons for discarding a graft were either contamination (n = 14), or morphology (n = 13) or leaflet damage (n = 2). Five homografts (3 PV, 2 AV) have been cryopreserved and stored while awaiting allocation. One pulmonary homograft with a leaflet cut was retrieved by bicuspidization technique and awaits allocation, as a highly requested small diameter graft. The implementation of a tissue donation program in cooperation with a homograft bank can be achieved with reasonable additional efforts at a transplant center with an in-house cardiac surgery department. Challenging situations with a potential risk of tissue injury during procurement include re-operation, harvesting by a non-specialist surgeon and prior central cannulation for mechanical circulatory support