Lessons from Non-Abelian Plasma Instabilities in Two Spatial Dimensions

Plasma instabilities can play a fundamental role in quark-gluon plasma equilibration in the high energy (weak coupling) limit. Early simulations of the evolution of plasma instabilities in non-abelian gauge theory, performed in one spatial dimension, found behavior qualitatively similar to traditional QED plasmas. Later simulations of the fully three-dimensional theory found different behavior, unlike traditional QED plasmas. To shed light on the origin of this difference, we study the intermediate case of two spatial dimensions. Depending on how the "two-dimensional'' theory is formulated, we can obtain either behavior.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figure

Analysis of floating offshore wind turbine hydrodynamics using coupled CFD and multibody methods

The focus of this study is the application of a higher order hydrodynamic modeling technique for the analysis of Floating Offshore Wind Turbine dynamics. This approach is based on a coupling between Multibody and Computational Fluid Dynamics methods. Results of the translational and rotational platform displacement are presented for a basic free-decay simulation in surge direction in still water. A comparison to linear hydrodynamics is presented. Additional, pressure mapping is demonstrated

Load reduction potential of variable speed control approaches for fixed pitch tidal current turbines

The present paper compares control strategies for fixed pitch Tidal Current Turbines and introduces the underspeed control technique. The state of the art approach of overspeed control for fixed pitch turbine increases the tip speed ratio to limit the power output of the turbine. This leads to a high fatigue loading as the number of load cycles increases and requires a specific rotor design not to increase the thrust coefficient as well. The underspeed controller on the other side reduces the tip speed ratio resulting in a reduced thrust coefficient and a reduced number of load cycles. However, this point of operation is unstable based on the characteristic curves of the rotor and needs to be stabilized by the controller. The basic structure of the controller as well as the calculated stability limits will be shown in the paper. Further, the performance of the underspeed controller regarding loads is compared to state of the art fixed and variable pitch controllers. The paper concludes with an analysis of the impacts on the turbine design and further potential and issues arising with the underspeed control approach

Tidal current turbine wake and park layout in transient environments

Due to orbital velocities of the waves, the characteristics of tidal current turbines change over time. Therefore the induction factor and subsequent the wake is time dependent. Within the present research this time dependency is investigated by using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with Virtual Free Surface (VFS) and Actuator Disc (ACD) models. Based on this setup several different wave and current scenarios are simulated and analyzed with respect to the transient velocities in the turbine wake. Special respect is taken to the velocity undulations radiated by the changing apparent velocities in the rotor plane. These undulations move with the wake of the tidal current turbines and increase wave loads on 2nd row turbines in a park. This paper presents an efficient method for simulation of wave and park interactions and investigates dynamic turbine wakes under a large variety of parameters. Based on these simulations a suggestion for a tidal park design with respect to a balance of fatigue loads and power output is concluded

Simulation of rotor-foundation-interaction on tidal current turbines with computational fluid dynamics

In this research the interaction of the rotor hydrodynamics with the foundation of a Tidal Energy Converter (TEC) are investigated. A detailed model of the turbine is built up and simulated with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The results of these simulations are used to compare the 4 load states of up- and downstream, below and above rated operation with respect to the rotor performance coefficients. The paper concludes with a comparison to results of simplified models and shows that the interaction can be simulated by an empirical approach

Atorvastatin reduces lipopolysaccharide-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in human pulmonary epithelial cells

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of atorvastatin on expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in human pulmonary epithelial cells (A549). METHODS: A549 cells were incubated in DMEM medium containing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence or absence of atorvastatin. After incubation, the medium was collected and the amount of prostaglandin E(2 )(PGE(2)) was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The cells were harvested, and COX-2 mRNA and protein were analyzed by RT-PCR and western-blot respectively. RESULTS: LPS increased the expression of COX-2 mRNA and production of PGE(2 )in a dose- and time-dependent manner in A549. Induction of COX-2 mRNA and protein by LPS were inhibited by atorvastatin in a dose-dependent manner. Atorvastatin also significantly decreased LPS-induced production of PGE(2). There was a positive correlation between reduced of COX-2 mRNA and decreased of PGE(2 )(r = 0.947, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Atorvastatin down-regulates LPS-induced expression of the COX-2 and consequently inhibits production of PGE(2 )in cultured A549 cells

Relationship Between Peer Assessment During Medical School, Dean’s Letter Rankings, and Ratings by Internship Directors

BACKGROUND: It is not known to what extent the dean’s letter (medical student performance evaluation [MSPE]) reflects peer-assessed work habits (WH) skills and/or interpersonal attributes (IA) of students. OBJECTIVE: To compare peer ratings of WH and IA of second- and third-year medical students with later MSPE rankings and ratings by internship program directors. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 281 medical students from the classes of 2004, 2005, and 2006 at a private medical school in the northeastern United States, who had participated in peer assessment exercises in the second and third years of medical school. For students from the class of 2004, we also compared peer assessment data against later evaluations obtained from internship program directors. RESULTS: Peer-assessed WH were predictive of later MSPE groups in both the second (F = 44.90, P < .001) and third years (F = 29.54, P < .001) of medical school. Interpersonal attributes were not related to MSPE rankings in either year. MSPE rankings for a majority of students were predictable from peer-assessed WH scores. Internship directors’ ratings were significantly related to second- and third-year peer-assessed WH scores (r = .32 [P = .15] and r = .43 [P = .004]), respectively, but not to peer-assessed IA. CONCLUSIONS: Peer assessment of WH, as early as the second year of medical school, can predict later MSPE rankings and internship performance. Although peer-assessed IA can be measured reliably, they are unrelated to either outcome