Influence of sailor position and motion on the performance prediction of racing dinghies

The time-varying influence of a sailor’s position is typically neglected in dinghy velocity prediction programs (VPPs). When applied to the assessment of dinghy race performance, the position and motions of the crew become significant but are practically hard to measure as they interact with the motions of the sailboat. As an initial stage in developing a time accurate dinghy VPP this work develops an on-water system capably of measuring the applied hiking moment due to the sailor’s pose and compares this with the resultant dinghy motion. The sailor’s kinematics are captured using a network of inertial motion sensors (IMS) synchronised to a video camera and dinghy motion sensor. The hiking moment is evaluated using a ‘stick man’ body representation with the mass and inertial terms associated with the main body segments appropriately scaled for the representative sailor. The accuracy of the pose captured is validated using laboratory based pose measurements. The completed work will provide a platform to model how sailor generated forces interact with the sailboat to affect boat speed. This will be used alongside realistic modelling of the wind and wave loadings to extend an existing time-domain dynamic velocity prediction program (DVPP). The results are demonstrated using a single handed Laser and demonstrate an acceptable level of accuracy

Comment on Multigraviton Scattering in the Matrix Model

We show by explicit calculation that the matrix model effective action does not contain the term $v_{12}^2 v_{23}^2 v_{13}^2/{R^7 r^7}$, in the limit $R \gg r$, contradicting a result reported recently.Comment: LaTex, 10 pages. Note added and minor correction

Assessing human-fluid-structure interaction for the international moth

The International Moth is an ultra-lightweight foiling dinghy class. Foil deflections and dynamic sailor-induced motions are identified as two key areas relating to foiling moth performance that are currently ignored in Velocity Prediction Programs (VPP). The impact of foil deflections is assessed by measuring the tip deflection and twist deformation of a T-foil from an International Moth. The full field deformation due to an applied load is measured using Digital Image Correlation (DIC). The foil's structural properties can then be determined based on the measured structural response. The deformations are then calculated for an estimated steady sailing force distribution on the T-foil and their impact on performance is evaluated. To investigate the impact of dynamic sailor motions a system is developed that allows a sailor's dynamic pose to be captured when out on the water by determining the orientations of key body segments using inertial sensors. It is validated against measured hiking moments and is demonstrated to work out on the water whilst sailing. Both these studies pave the way towards developing a Dynamic VPP for the international Moth, which can include unsteady human and foil interactions

Insulated Solar Electric Cooker Immersion Heater

This report is the final design review (FDR) report for our team completing the Insulated Solar Electric Cooker (ISEC) Immersion Heater mechanical engineering senior project. The goal of this project is to standardize and perform analysis on a preexisting, inexpensive solar-powered immersion heater for cooking use in developing countries, reducing the adverse effects presented by traditional biomass cooking fires. We also designed a manufacturing process to improve repeatability and to reduce labor investment of heater production. The ISEC research team from the California Polytechnic State University Physics Department have been working on the development of this immersion heater and have produced working prototypes. Our task was to improve upon this design with a focus on conductive filler material and proper diode chain manufacturing, and to develop a manufacturing process that will allow these heaters to be made more efficiently and with fewer people in order to reduce manufacturing costs. As a result, we created specifications for the heater that that impacted the design and use of our manufacturing jig, which was created to aid the manufacture of the heater. Our preliminary analysis suggests that in order to extend heater lifetime and promote more effective heating of food, the temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the heater should be below 100℃. We were not able to produce heaters to meet this specification, but were able to make recommendations for how to proceed based on our findings. More detailed design specifications are included in this report, as well as background research and details regarding the manufacturing process for the immersion heater. With our manufacturing jig, our team was able to reduce the heater manufacturing time to approximately a quarter of the time taken previously. Additionally, our manufacturing jig allows for one person to perform the most cumbersome steps of the process alone. Also included are the final design, manufacturing plan, and cost analysis for a manufacturing jig to aid in heater manufacturing

Efficiency and Power as a Function of Sequence Coverage, SNP Array Density, and Imputation

High coverage whole genome sequencing provides near complete information about genetic variation. However, other technologies can be more efficient in some settings by (a) reducing redundant coverage within samples and (b) exploiting patterns of genetic variation across samples. To characterize as many samples as possible, many genetic studies therefore employ lower coverage sequencing or SNP array genotyping coupled to statistical imputation. To compare these approaches individually and in conjunction, we developed a statistical framework to estimate genotypes jointly from sequence reads, array intensities, and imputation. In European samples, we find similar sensitivity (89%) and specificity (99.6%) from imputation with either 1× sequencing or 1 M SNP arrays. Sensitivity is increased, particularly for low-frequency polymorphisms (MAF <5%), when low coverage sequence reads are added to dense genome-wide SNP arrays — the converse, however, is not true. At sites where sequence reads and array intensities produce different sample genotypes, joint analysis reduces genotype errors and identifies novel error modes. Our joint framework informs the use of next-generation sequencing in genome wide association studies and supports development of improved methods for genotype calling

Lipopolysaccharide impairs amyloid β efflux from brain: altered vascular sequestration, cerebrospinal fluid reabsorption, peripheral clearance and transporter function at the blood-brain barrier

BACKGROUND: Defects in the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP-1) and p-glycoprotein (Pgp) clearance of amyloid beta (Aβ) from brain are thought to contribute to Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). We have recently shown that induction of systemic inflammation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) results in impaired efflux of Aβ from the brain. The same treatment also impairs Pgp function. Here, our aim is to determine which physiological routes of Aβ clearance are affected following systemic inflammation, including those relying on LRP-1 and Pgp function at the blood-brain barrier. METHODS: CD-1 mice aged between 6 and 8 weeks were treated with 3 intraperitoneal injections of 3 mg/kg LPS at 0, 6, and 24 hours and studied at 28 hours. 125I-Aβ1-42 or 125I-alpha-2-macroglobulin injected into the lateral ventricle of the brain (intracerebroventricular (ICV)) or into the jugular vein (intravenous (IV)) was used to quantify LRP-1-dependent partitioning between the brain vasculature and parenchyma and peripheral clearance, respectively. Disappearance of ICV-injected 14 C-inulin from brain was measured to quantify bulk flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Brain microvascular protein expression of LRP-1 and Pgp was measured by immunoblotting. Endothelial cell localization of LRP-1 was measured by immunofluorescence microscopy. Oxidative modifications to LRP-1 at the brain microvasculature were measured by immunoprecipitation of LRP-1 followed by immunoblotting for 4-hydroxynonenal and 3-nitrotyrosine. RESULTS: We found that LPS: caused an LRP-1-dependent redistribution of ICV-injected Aβ from brain parenchyma to brain vasculature and decreased entry into blood; impaired peripheral clearance of IV-injected Aβ; inhibited reabsorption of CSF; did not significantly alter brain microvascular protein levels of LRP-1 or Pgp, or oxidative modifications to LRP-1; and downregulated LRP-1 protein levels and caused LRP-1 mislocalization in cultured brain endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that LRP-1 undergoes complex functional regulation following systemic inflammation which may depend on cell type, subcellular location, and post-translational modifications. Our findings that systemic inflammation causes deficits in both Aβ transport and bulk flow like those observed in AD indicate that inflammation could induce and promote the disease

A Rapid Assessment of Coral Reefs Near Hopetown, Abaco Islands, Bahamas (Stony Corals and Algae)

Coral reefs at 13 sites ranging in depth from 1-16 m near Hopetown, Abaco Islands, Bahamas were surveyed utilizing the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment (AGRRA) benthos protocol. A total of 35 species of scleractinian corals and 2 species of calcareous hydrocorals were observed. The overall coral cover averaged just over 14%. Among corals that were at least 10 cm in diameter, small colonies (\u3c 40 cm diameter) predominated in all sites except for the Fowl Cay pinnacles where 68% were larger than 60 cm in diameter. Large colonies (\u3e 40 cm diameter) were also found in the Lynyard Cay spur-and-groove formations and the Sandy Cay fore reef. Zero-4% of the colonies were affected by disease. Total (recent + old) partial-colony mortality ranged from 9-31% (both extreme values being found in outer reef crests). Turf algae were the most common algal functional group overall. Macroalgae were ubiquitous, however, with relative abundance values of about 25-47%. Macroalgal indices (a proxy for biomass) ranged from 64 in the Sandy Cay back reef to 184 in the Fowl Cay outer reef crest