Selection, Sizing, and Testing of Stream Traps in Commercial Buildings

For maximum effectiveness in steam systems, steam traps should have operating characteristics which closely match the requirements of the applications for which they are used. A trap which holds back condensate until it is subcooled and some of the sensible heat has been utilized is unsuitable where the need is to get maximum output from an exchanger by discharging condensate as soon as it forms. Equally, a trap discharging condensate at steam temperature can exacerbate flash steam problems in cases where surplus heat exchange area exists and a subcooling trap might be more suitable. In all cases, undersized traps simply cannot drain condensate from the steam equipment at the required rate, while oversized traps which cost more will usually wear faster and begin leaking expensive steam. This emphasizes the need for carefully selecting trap sizes that are properly engineered for maximum system efficiency. And, of course, the ability of a trap to cope with varying loads and to discharge noncondensible gases is often important. The recommended procedure is to first select the trap type which has performance capabilities that satisfy specific application needs, and then to choose a size which handles the condensate load without any unnecessary excess capacity. The Selection Guide, Table 1, is not comprehensive but helps in many applications where no unusual operating conditions or severe corrosion problems exist. Choosing the correct trap size then implies estimating the steam consumption rate, which of course equals the condensate load. Sometimes the load has already been measured, or the rated output of the steam equipment is known or can be obtained from the original manufacturer. In other cases, an estimate must be made and a Table o f Load Formulas will help although it, too, cannot be comprehensive. After making the best possible estimate of the load, a safety factor is applied. This allows for any inaccuracies in the estimating, for increased condensation rates at start-up, and for lower than anticipated pressure differentials across the trap

Navigating southern spaces: queer narratives from below the Mason Dixon

The southern United States is known for being historically and contemporarily religious and conservative. This study seeks to investigate the many ways that queer individuals navigate and degrees of safety individuals feel when embodying their identities in these spaces. Temporary pockets of safe space can be created by individuals in various geographic locations to serve as a means of feeling like a valid human being while inhabiting a minority status. It is hypothesized in this paper that these spaces are vital to the continued living, working, and learning of individuals as they provide temporary relief of dichotomous pressure of dominate society while allowing the individual to embody their identities as they deem appropriate. This study encompasses narratives from three queer people living in North Carolina and uses the narratives in combination with social theory to illuminate queer lives in the southern United States

Imaging Transient Blood Vessel Fusion Events by Correlative Volume Electron Microscopy

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2010 in Portland, Oregon, USA, August 1 - August 5, 201

Effects of oestrogens and anti-oestrogens on normal breast tissue from women bearing BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations

There is considerable interest in whether anti-oestrogens can be used to prevent breast cancer in women bearing mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. The effects of oestradiol (E2), tamoxifen (TAM) and fulvestrant (FUL) on proliferation and steroid receptor expression were assessed in normal breast epithelium taken from women at varying risks of breast cancer and implanted into athymic nude mice, which were treated with E2 in the presence and absence of TAM or FUL. Tissue samples were taken at various time points thereafter for assessment of proliferative activity and expression of oestrogen and progesterone receptors (ERα and PgR) by immunohistochemistry. Oestradiol increased proliferation in the breast epithelium from women carrying mutations in the BRCA1/2 genes, those otherwise at increased risk and those at population risk of breast cancer. This increase was reduced by both TAM and FUL in all risk groups. In the absence of E2, PgR expression was reduced in all risk groups but significantly more so in the BRCA-mutated groups. Subsequent E2 treatment caused a rapid, complete induction of PgR expression in the population-risk group but not in the high-risk or BRCA-mutated groups in which PgR induction was significantly delayed. These data suggest that the mechanisms by which E2 induces breast epithelial PgR expression are impaired in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, whereas those regulating proliferation remain intact. We conclude that early anti-oestrogen treatment should prevent breast cancer in very high-risk women

Regulation of cell protrusions by small GTPases during fusion of the neural folds.

Epithelial fusion is a crucial process in embryonic development, and its failure underlies several clinically important birth defects. For example, failure of neural fold fusion during neurulation leads to open neural tube defects including spina bifida. Using mouse embryos, we show that cell protrusions emanating from the apposed neural fold tips, at the interface between the neuroepithelium and the surface ectoderm, are required for completion of neural tube closure. By genetically ablating the cytoskeletal regulators Rac1 or Cdc42 in the dorsal neuroepithelium, or in the surface ectoderm, we show that these protrusions originate from surface ectodermal cells and that Rac1 is necessary for the formation of membrane ruffles which typify late closure stages, whereas Cdc42 is required for the predominance of filopodia in early neurulation. This study provides evidence for the essential role and molecular regulation of membrane protrusions prior to fusion of a key organ primordium in mammalian development

Phase change effect on the structural and electrochemical behaviour of pure and doped vanadium pentoxide as positive electrodes for lithium ion batteries

Electrospun ceramic oxide fibers find myriad uses as energy materials such as in battery electrodes and vanadium oxides are one such family of materials. In this study, the structural and energy storage properties of electrospun vanadium pentoxide are compared to approximately 10 at% barium and titanium-doped equivalents. The vanadium pentoxide was doped in order to improve its electrochemical performance. The materials are characterised using powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements, transmission electron microscopy and potentiostatic and galvanostatic analysis. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that each dopant has a critical effect on lattice distortions whilst showing no influence over the overall crystal structure, which is unusual for such large dopant amounts. The doped materials show better cyclability and higher efficiencies than the pure equivalent. Ex-situ X-ray diffraction measurements show detrimental phase changes within undoped V2O5 whereas the titanium-doped V2O5 predominantly remains as α-V2O5 after the first cycle

GOG 244-The lymphedema and gynecologic cancer (LEG) study: Incidence and risk factors in newly diagnosed patients

© 2019 Elsevier Inc. Objectives: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors for lymphedema associated with surgery for gynecologic malignancies on GOG study 244. Methods: Women undergoing a lymph node dissection for endometrial, cervical, or vulvar cancer were eligible for enrollment. Leg volume was calculated from measurements at 10-cm intervals starting 10 cm above the bottom of the heel to the inguinal crease. Measurements were obtained preoperatively and postoperatively at 4–6 weeks, and at 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 18-, and 24- months. Lymphedema was defined as a limb volume change (LVC) ≥10% from baseline and categorized as mild: 10–19% LVC; moderate: 20–40% LVC; or severe: \u3e40% LVC. Risk factors associated with lymphedema were also analyzed. Results: Of 1054 women enrolled on study, 140 were inevaluable due to inadequate measurements or eligibility criteria. This left 734 endometrial, 138 cervical, and 42 vulvar patients evaluable for LVC assessment. Median age was 61 years (range, 28–91) in the endometrial, 44 years (range, 25–83) in the cervical, and 58 years (range, 35–88) in the vulvar group. The incidence of LVC ≥10% was 34% (n = 247), 35% (n = 48), and 43% (n = 18), respectively. The peak incidence of lymphedema was at the 4–6 week assessment. Logistic regression analysis showed a decreased risk with advanced age (p = 0.0467). An exploratory analysis in the endometrial cohort showed an increased risk with a node count \u3e8 (p = 0.033). Conclusions: For a gynecologic cancer, LVC decreased with age greater than 65, but increased with a lymph node count greater than 8 in the endometrial cohort. There was no association with radiation or other risk factors

An allele of IKZF1 (Ikaros) conferring susceptibility to childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia protects against type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: IKZF1 encoding Ikaros, an essential regulator of lymphopoiesis and immune homeostasis, has been implicated in the development of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (C-ALL). Because recent genome-wide association (GWA) studies have linked a region of the 3'-UTR of IKZF1 with C-ALL susceptibility, we tested whether IKZF1 is associated with the autoimmune disease type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: rs10272724 (T>C) near IKZF1 at 7p12 was genotyped in 8,333 individuals with type 1 diabetes, 9,947 control subjects, and 3,997 families of European ancestry. Association was tested using logistic regression in the case-control data and by the transmission disequilibrium test in the families. Expression data for IKZF1 by rs10272724 genotype were obtained using quantitative PCR of mRNA/cDNA generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 88 individuals, whereas expression data for five other neighboring genes were obtained from the online Genevar dataset. RESULTS: The minor allele of rs10272724 (C) was found to be protective from type 1 diabetes (odds ratio 0.87 [95% CI 0.83-0.91]; P = 1.1 × 10(-11)). rs10272724 was not correlated with levels of two transcripts of IKZF1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. CONCLUSIONS: The major susceptibility genotype for C-ALL confers protection from type 1 diabetes. Our finding strengthens the link between autoimmunity and lymphoid cancers. Further investigation is warranted for the genetic effect marked by rs10272724, its impact on IKZF1, and the role of Ikaros and other family members, Ailios (IKZF3) and Eos (IKZF4), in autoimmunity

Differential Modulation of Retinal Degeneration by Ccl2 and Cx3cr1 Chemokine Signalling

Microglia and macrophages are recruited to sites of retinal degeneration where local cytokines and chemokines determine protective or neurotoxic microglia responses. Defining the role of Ccl2-Ccr2 and Cx3cl1-Cx3cr1 signalling for retinal pathology is of particular interest because of its potential role in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Ccl2, Ccr2, and Cx3cr1 signalling defects impair macrophage trafficking, but have, in several conflicting studies, been reported to show different degrees of age-related retinal degeneration. Ccl2/Cx3cr1 double knockout (CCDKO) mice show an early onset retinal degeneration and have been suggested as a model for AMD. In order to understand phenotypic discrepancies in different chemokine knockout lines and to study how defects in Ccl2 and/or Cx3cr1 signalling contribute to the described early onset retinal degeneration, we defined primary and secondary pathological events in CCDKO mice. To control for genetic background variability, we compared the original phenotype with that of single Ccl2, Cx3cr1 and Ccl2/Cx3cr1 double knockout mice obtained from backcrosses of CCDKO with C57Bl/6 mice. We found that the primary pathological event in CCDKO mice develops in the inferior outer nuclear layer independently of light around postnatal day P14. RPE and vascular lesions develop secondarily with increasing penetrance with age and are clinically similar to retinal telangiectasia not to choroidal neovascularisation. Furthermore, we provide evidence that a third autosomal recessive gene causes the degeneration in CCDKO mice and in all affected re-derived lines and subsequently demonstrated co-segregation of the naturally occurring RD8 mutation in the Crb1 gene. By comparing CCDKO mice with re-derived CCl2−/−/Crb1Rd8/RD8, Cx3cr1−/−/Crb1Rd8/RD8 and CCl2−/−/Cx3cr1−/−/Crb1Rd8/RD8 mice, we observed a differential modulation of the retinal phenotype by genetic background and both chemokine signalling pathways. These findings indicate that CCDKO mice are not a model of AMD, but a model for an inherited retinal degeneration that is differentially modulated by Ccl2-Ccr2 and Cx3cl1-Cx3cr1 chemokine signalling