Advanced ceramic coating development for industrial/utility gas turbine applications

The effects of ceramic coatings on the lifetimes of metal turbine components and on the performance of a utility turbine, as well as of the turbine operational cycle on the ceramic coatings were determined. When operating the turbine under conditions of constant cooling flow, the first row blades run 55K cooler, and as a result, have 10 times the creep rupture life, 10 times the low cycle fatigue life and twice the corrosion life with only slight decreases in both specific power and efficiency. When operating the turbine at constant metal temperature and reduced cooling flow, both specific power and efficiency increases, with no change in component lifetime. The most severe thermal transient of the turbine causes the coating bond stresses to approach 60% of the bond strengths. Ceramic coating failures was studied. Analytic models based on fracture mechanics theories, combined with measured properties quantitatively assessed both single and multiple thermal cycle failures which allowed the prediction of coating lifetime. Qualitative models for corrosion failures are also presented

Cytosolic Phospholipase A2α and Eicosanoids Regulate Expression of Genes in Macrophages Involved in Host Defense and Inflammation

Acknowledgments: We thank Dr. Robert Barkley and Charis Uhlson for mass spectrometry analysis. Funding: This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health HL34303 (to C.C.L., R.C.M. and D.L.B), DK54741 (to J.V.B.), GM5322 (to D.L.W.) and the Wellcome Trust (to N.A.R.G. and G.D.B.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Gravitational Radiation from Triple Star Systems

We have studied the main features of the gravitational radiation generated by an astrophysical system constituted of three compact objects attracting one another (only via gravitational interaction) in such a manner that stable orbits do exist. We have limited our analysis to systems that can be treated with perturbative methods. We show the profile of the gravitational waves emitted by such systems. These results can be useful within the framework of the new gravitational astronomy which will be made feasible by means of the new generation of gravitational detectors such as LISA in a no longer far future.Comment: 10 pages plus 9 postscript figures; revtex; accepted for publication in Int. J. Mod. Phys.

Ultra-Transparent Antarctic Ice as a Supernova Detector

We have simulated the response of a high energy neutrino telescope in deep Antarctic ice to the stream of low energy neutrinos produced by a supernova. The passage of a large flux of MeV-energy neutrinos during a period of seconds will be detected as an excess of single counting rates in all individual optical modules. We update here a previous estimate of the performance of such an instrument taking into account the recent discovery of absorption lengths of several hundred meters for near-UV photons in natural deep ice. The existing AMANDA detector can, even by the most conservative estimates, act as a galactic supernova watch.Comment: 9 pages, Revtex file, no figures. Postscript file also available from http://phenom.physics.wisc.edu/pub/preprints/1995/madph-95-888.ps.Z or from ftp://phenom.physics.wisc.edu/pub/preprints/1995/madph-95-888.ps.

Dirac neutrino magnetic moment and a possible time evolution of the neutrino signal from a supernova

We analyze the influence of neutrino helicity conversion, $\nu_L \to \nu_R$, on the neutrino flux from a supernova caused by the interaction of the Dirac neutrino magnetic moment with a magnetic field. We show that if the neutrino has a magnetic moment in the interval $10^{-13} \, \mu_{\rm B} < \mu_\nu < 10^{-12} \, \mu_{\rm B}$ and provided that a magnetic field of $\sim 10^{13} - 10^{14}$ G exists in the supernova envelope, a peculiar kind of time evolution of the neutrino signal from the supernova caused by the resonance transition $\nu_L \to \nu_R$ in the magnetic field of the envelope can appear. If a magnetar with a poloidal magnetic field is formed in a supernova explosion, then the neutrino signal could have a pulsating behavior, i.e., a kind of a neutrino pulsar could be observed, when it rotates around an axis that does not coincide with its magnetic moment and when the orientation of its rotation axis is favourable for our observation.Comment: 9 pages, LaTeX, 2 EPS figures, based on the talk presented by A.V. Kuznetsov at the XVI International Seminar Quarks'2010, Kolomna, Moscow Region, June 6-12, 2010, to appear in the Proceeding

Risk-shifting Through Issuer Liability and Corporate Monitoring

This article explores how issuer liability re-allocates fraud risk and how risk allocation may reduce the incidence of fraud. In the US, the apparent absence of individual liability of officeholders and insufficient monitoring by insurers under-mine the potential deterrent effect of securities litigation. The underlying reasons why both mechanisms remain ineffective are collective action problems under the prevailing dispersed ownership structure, which eliminates the incentives to moni-tor set by issuer liability. This article suggests that issuer liability could potentially have a stronger deterrent effect when it shifts risk to individuals or entities holding a larger financial stake. Thus, it would enlist large shareholders in monitoring in much of Europe. The same risk-shifting effect also has implications for the debate about the relationship between securities litigation and creditor interests. Credi-tors’ claims should not be given precedence over claims of defrauded investors (e.g., because of the capital maintenance principle), since bearing some of the fraud risk will more strongly incentivise large creditors, such as banks, to monitor the firm in jurisdictions where corporate debt is relatively concentrated

Direkter Nachweis der renalen Hyperämie nach intravenöser Injektion von Fursemid beim Hund

The effect of intravenous furosemide (1 mg/kg) body weight on the clearance of sodium-para-aminohippurate ( C PAH ) and on renal blood flow (electromagnetic flowmeter) was investigated under Nembutal anesthesia in 6 mongrel dogs. Renal blood flow, after a slight decrease, 20–30 sec after the Furosemide injection, increased rapidly and attained a mean value of +30.0% ( p <0.001) within the first 10 min. During the second 10 min, the increase averaged +23.1% ( p <0.0025) and dropped to +10.6% ( p <0.05) in the third 10 min period. The C PAH showed a similar pattern with mean increases of 24.8% ( p <0.05), 13.0% ( p <0.05) and +6.9% respectively. In 2 dogs, electromagnetic flowmeters were implanted on the renal artery and the same studies peformed without anesthesia. Again renal blood flow and C PAH increased in a similar way to that seen in the previous study, although the increase was slightly more pronounced. We conclude that the observed increase of C PAH in dogs after furosemide reflects a real increase of renal plasma flow and is not merely due to a washout effect. Bei 6 Bastard-Hunden wurde unter Nembutal-Narkose die Wirkung von Fursemid (1,0 mg/kg) Körpergewicht, i.v. injiziert auf die Natrium-Paraaminohippurat-Clearance ( C PAH ) und auf die renale Durchblutung, gemessen mit einem elektromagnetischen Durchflußmesser, untersucht. Die Nierendurchblutung nahm, nach einer wenige Sekunden dauernden leichten Abnahme, regelmäßig zu. Die größte Zunahme, im Mittel +30% ( p <0,001) trat innerhalb der ersten 10 min nach Fursemid auf. In den zweiten 10 min sank die mittlere Zunahme auf +23,1% ( p <0,0025), in den folgenden 10 min auf +10,6% ( p <0,05) ab. Die entsprechenden Werte für die C PAH lauten +24,8% ( p <0,05), +13,0% ( p <0,05) und +6,9% ( p <0,05). Um die Wirkung der Barbiturat-Narkose auszuschalten, wurden bei 2 Hunden mit implantierten elektromagnetischen Druckmessern dieselben Meßgrößen nach Fursemid in derselben Dosierung untersucht. Die Zunahme der Nierendurchblutung und der C PAH tritt auch unter diesen Bedingungen, sogar noch etwas ausgesprochener, auf. Wir schließen aus unseren Befunden daß die nach Fursemid beim Hund auftretende Zunahme der C PAH einer Zunahme der renalen Plasmadurchströmung, resp. der Nierendurchblutung entspricht und nicht auf einem „Auswasch“-Effekt beruht.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46305/1/210_2004_Article_BF00537179.pd

Guidelines for the Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: 2020 Update of the Decompressive Craniectomy Recommendations

© Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2020. When the fourth edition of the Brain Trauma Foundation\u27s Guidelines for the Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury were finalized in late 2016, it was known that the results of the RESCUEicp (Trial of Decompressive Craniectomy for Traumatic Intracranial Hypertension) randomized controlled trial of decompressive craniectomy would be public after the guidelines were released. The guideline authors decided to proceed with publication but to update the decompressive craniectomy recommendations later in the spirit of living guidelines, whereby topics are updated more frequently, and between new editions, when important new evidence is published. The update to the decompressive craniectomy chapter presented here integrates the findings of the RESCUEicp study as well as the recently published 12-mo outcome data from the DECRA (Decompressive Craniectomy in Patients With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury) trial. Incorporation of these publications into the body of evidence led to the generation of 3 new level-IIA recommendations; a fourth previously presented level-IIA recommendation remains valid and has been restated. To increase the utility of the recommendations, we added a new section entitled Incorporating the Evidence into Practice. This summary of expert opinion provides important context and addresses key issues for practitioners, which are intended to help the clinician utilize the available evidence and these recommendations. The full guideline can be found at: https://braintrauma.org/guidelines/guidelines-for-the-management-of-severe-tbi-4th-ed#/

Impaired phagocytosis of apoptotic cells by macrophages in chronic granulomatous disease is reversed by IFN-γ in a nitric oxide-dependent manner

Immunodeficiency in chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is well characterized. Less understood are exaggerated sterile inflammation and autoimmunity associated with CGD. Impaired recognition and clearance of apoptotic cells resulting in their disintegration may contribute to CGD inflammation. We hypothesized that priming of macrophages (Ms) with IFN-γ would enhance impaired engulfment of apoptotic cells in CGD. Diverse M populations from CGD (gp91(phox)(-/-)) and wild-type mice, as well as human Ms differentiated from monocytes and promyelocytic leukemia PLB-985 cells (with and without mutation of the gp91(phox)), demonstrated enhanced engulfment of apoptotic cells in response to IFN-γ priming. Priming with IFN-γ was also associated with increased uptake of Ig-opsonized targets, latex beads, and fluid phase markers, and it was accompanied by activation of the Rho GTPase Rac. Enhanced Rac activation and phagocytosis following IFN-γ priming were dependent on NO production via inducible NO synthase and activation of protein kinase G. Notably, endogenous production of TNF-α in response to IFN-γ priming was critically required for inducible NO synthase upregulation, NO production, Rac activation, and enhanced phagocytosis. Treatment of CGD mice with IFN-γ also enhanced uptake of apoptotic cells by M in vivo via the signaling pathway. Importantly, during acute sterile peritonitis, IFN-γ treatment reduced excess accumulation of apoptotic neutrophils and enhanced phagocytosis by CGD Ms. These data support the hypothesis that in addition to correcting immunodeficiency in CGD, IFN-γ priming of Ms restores clearance of apoptotic cells and may thereby contribute to resolution of exaggerated CGD inflammation

Potential for Supernova Neutrino Detection in MiniBooNE

The MiniBooNE detector at Fermilab is designed to search for $\nu_\mu \to \nu_e$ oscillation appearance at $E_\nu \sim 1 {\rm GeV}$ and to make a decisive test of the LSND signal. The main detector (inside a veto shield) is a spherical volume containing 0.680 ktons of mineral oil. This inner volume, viewed by 1280 phototubes, is primarily a \v{C}erenkov medium, as the scintillation yield is low. The entire detector is under a 3 m earth overburden. Though the detector is not optimized for low-energy (tens of MeV) events, and the cosmic-ray muon rate is high (10 kHz), we show that MiniBooNE can function as a useful supernova neutrino detector. Simple trigger-level cuts can greatly reduce the backgrounds due to cosmic-ray muons. For a canonical Galactic supernova at 10 kpc, about 190 supernova $\bar{\nu}_e + p \to e^+ + n$ events would be detected. By adding MiniBooNE to the international network of supernova detectors, the possibility of a supernova being missed would be reduced. Additionally, the paths of the supernova neutrinos through Earth will be different for MiniBooNE and other detectors, thus allowing tests of matter-affected mixing effects on the neutrino signal.Comment: Added references, version to appear in PR