CFD model of acceleration of thermal-hydrodynamic processes in solar air collectors

Recent studies on increasing the thermal-hydrodynamic efficiency of solar air collectors have been carried out on the installation of barriers of various shapes on the surface of the absorber, and this method ensures a significant increase in the energy efficiency of the collector. The transfer of the air flow washing the surface of the absorber from a laminar flow state to an accelerated lumped air flow is carried out by installing obstacles. Installation of barriers is the main factor in increasing the heat transfer in solar air collectors and prolongs the time of air flow in the collector. The barrier solar air collector has a high local heat transfer coefficient, and the Nusselt number value is up to 3.5 times higher than that of the flat plate solar air collector. Also, this article presents the results of CFD modeling of the air flow in the solar air collector, the results of which can be used in the theoretical research of the solar air collector

Dark Matter Search Perspectives with GAMMA-400

GAMMA-400 is a future high-energy gamma-ray telescope, designed to measure the fluxes of gamma-rays and cosmic-ray electrons + positrons, which can be produced by annihilation or decay of dark matter particles, and to survey the celestial sphere in order to study point and extended sources of gamma-rays, measure energy spectra of Galactic and extragalactic diffuse gamma-ray emission, gamma-ray bursts, and gamma-ray emission from the Sun. GAMMA-400 covers the energy range from 100 MeV to ~3000 GeV. Its angular resolution is ~0.01 deg(Eg > 100 GeV), and the energy resolution ~1% (Eg > 10 GeV). GAMMA-400 is planned to be launched on the Russian space platform Navigator in 2019. The GAMMA-400 perspectives in the search for dark matter in various scenarios are presented in this paperComment: 4 pages, 4 figures, submitted to the Proceedings of the International Cosmic-Ray Conference 2013, Brazil, Rio de Janeir

The Role of Glypicans in Wnt Inhibitory Factor-1 Activity and the Structural Basis of Wif1's Effects on Wnt and Hedgehog Signaling

Proper assignment of cellular fates relies on correct interpretation of Wnt and Hedgehog (Hh) signals. Members of the Wnt Inhibitory Factor-1 (WIF1) family are secreted modulators of these extracellular signaling pathways. Vertebrate WIF1 binds Wnts and inhibits their signaling, but its Drosophila melanogaster ortholog Shifted (Shf) binds Hh and extends the range of Hh activity in the developing D. melanogaster wing. Shf activity is thought to depend on reinforcing interactions between Hh and glypican HSPGs. Using zebrafish embryos and the heterologous system provided by D. melanogaster wing, we report on the contribution of glypican HSPGs to the Wnt-inhibiting activity of zebrafish Wif1 and on the protein domains responsible for the differences in Wif1 and Shf specificity. We show that Wif1 strengthens interactions between Wnt and glypicans, modulating the biphasic action of glypicans towards Wnt inhibition; conversely, glypicans and the glypican-binding “EGF-like” domains of Wif1 are required for Wif1's full Wnt-inhibiting activity. Chimeric constructs between Wif1 and Shf were used to investigate their specificities for Wnt and Hh signaling. Full Wnt inhibition required the “WIF” domain of Wif1, and the HSPG-binding EGF-like domains of either Wif1 or Shf. Full promotion of Hh signaling requires both the EGF-like domains of Shf and the WIF domains of either Wif1 or Shf. That the Wif1 WIF domain can increase the Hh promoting activity of Shf's EGF domains suggests it is capable of interacting with Hh. In fact, full-length Wif1 affected distribution and signaling of Hh in D. melanogaster, albeit weakly, suggesting a possible role for Wif1 as a modulator of vertebrate Hh signaling

CFD model of acceleration of thermal-hydrodynamic processes in solar air collectors

Recent studies on increasing the thermal-hydrodynamic efficiency of solar air collectors have been carried out on the installation of barriers of various shapes on the surface of the absorber, and this method ensures a significant increase in the energy efficiency of the collector. The transfer of the air flow washing the surface of the absorber from a laminar flow state to an accelerated lumped air flow is carried out by installing obstacles. Installation of barriers is the main factor in increasing the heat transfer in solar air collectors and prolongs the time of air flow in the collector. The barrier solar air collector has a high local heat transfer coefficient, and the Nusselt number value is up to 3.5 times higher than that of the flat plate solar air collector. Also, this article presents the results of CFD modeling of the air flow in the solar air collector, the results of which can be used in the theoretical research of the solar air collector