Effects of temperature dependent viscosity on Bénard convection in a porous medium using a non-Darcy model

Temperature-dependent viscosity variation effect on Benard convection, of a gas or a liquid, in an enclosure filled with a porous medium is studied numerically, based on the general model of momentum transfer in a porous medium. The exponential form of viscosity-temperature relation is applied to examine three cases of viscosity-temperature relation: constant (mu = mu(C)), decreasing (down to 0.13 mu C) and increasing (up to 7.39 mu(C)). Effects of fluid viscosity variation on isotherms, streamlines, and the Nusselt number are studied. Application of the effective and average Rayleigh number is examined. Defining a reference temperature, which does not change with the Rayleigh number but increases with the Darcy number, is found to be a viable option to account for temperature-dependent viscosity variation. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd

Design, synthesis and biological assessment of novel N-substituted 3-(phthalimidin-2-yl)-2,6-dioxopiperidines and 3-substituted 2,6-dioxopiperidines for TNF-α inhibitory activity

Eight novel 2-(2,6-dioxopiperidin-3-yl)phthalimidine EM-12 dithiocarbamates 9 and 10, N-substituted 3-(phthalimidin-2-yl)-2,6-dioxopiperidines 11-14 and 3-substituted 2,6-dioxopiperidines 16 and 18 were synthesized as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) synthesis inhibitors. Synthesis involved utilization of a novel condensation approach, a one-pot reaction involving addition, iminium rearrangement and elimination, to generate the phthalimidine ring required for the creation of compounds 9-14. Agents were, thereafter, quantitatively assessed for their ability to suppress the synthesis on TNF-α in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged mouse macrophage-like cellular screen, utilizing cultured RAW 264.7 cells. Whereas compounds 9, 14 and 16 exhibited potent TNF-α lowering activity, reducing TNF-α by up to 48% at 30 μM, compounds 12, 17 and 18 presented moderate TNF-α inhibitory action. The TNF-α lowering properties of these analogs proved more potent than that of revlimid (3) and thalidomide (1). In particular, N-dithiophthalimidomethyl-3-(phthalimidin-2-yl)-2,6-dioxopiperidine 14 not only possessed the greatest potency of the analogs to reduce TNF-α synthesis, but achieved this with minor cellular toxicity at 30 μM. The pharmacological focus of the presented compounds is towards the development of well-tolerated agents to ameliorate the neuroinflammation, that is, commonly associated with neurodegenerative disorders, epitomized by Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease

Perspectives on care and communication involving incurably ill Turkish and Moroccan patients, relatives and professionals: a systematic literature review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Our aim was to obtain a clearer picture of the relevant care experiences and care perceptions of incurably ill Turkish and Moroccan patients, their relatives and professional care providers, as well as of communication and decision-making patterns at the end of life. The ultimate objective is to improve palliative care for Turkish and Moroccan immigrants in the Netherlands, by taking account of socio-cultural factors in the guidelines for palliative care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic literature review was undertaken. The data sources were seventeen national and international literature databases, four Dutch journals dedicated to palliative care and 37 websites of relevant national and international organizations. All the references found were checked to see whether they met the structured inclusion criteria. Inclusion was limited to publications dealing with primary empirical research on the relationship between socio-cultural factors and the health or care situation of Turkish or Moroccan patients with an oncological or incurable disease. The selection was made by first reading the titles and abstracts and subsequently the full texts. The process of deciding which studies to include was carried out by two reviewers independently. A generic appraisal instrument was applied to assess the methodological quality.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fifty-seven studies were found that reported findings for the countries of origin (mainly Turkey) and the immigrant host countries (mainly the Netherlands). The central themes were experiences and perceptions of family care, professional care, end-of-life care and communication. Family care is considered a duty, even when such care becomes a severe burden for the main female family caregiver in particular. Professional hospital care is preferred by many of the patients and relatives because they are looking for a cure and security. End-of-life care is strongly influenced by the continuing hope for recovery. Relatives are often quite influential in end-of-life decisions, such as the decision to withdraw or withhold treatments. The diagnosis, prognosis and end-of-life decisions are seldom discussed with the patient, and communication about pain and mental problems is often limited. Language barriers and the dominance of the family may exacerbate communication problems.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This review confirms the view that family members of patients with a Turkish or Moroccan background have a central role in care, communication and decision making at the end of life. This, in combination with their continuing hope for the patient’s recovery may inhibit open communication between patients, relatives and professionals as partners in palliative care. This implies that organizations and professionals involved in palliative care should take patients’ socio-cultural characteristics into account and incorporate cultural sensitivity into care standards and care practices<it>.</it></p

A new class of glycomimetic drugs to prevent free fatty acid-induced endothelial dysfunction

Background: Carbohydrates play a major role in cell signaling in many biological processes. We have developed a set of glycomimetic drugs that mimic the structure of carbohydrates and represent a novel source of therapeutics for endothelial dysfunction, a key initiating factor in cardiovascular complications. Purpose: Our objective was to determine the protective effects of small molecule glycomimetics against free fatty acid­induced endothelial dysfunction, focusing on nitric oxide (NO) and oxidative stress pathways. Methods: Four glycomimetics were synthesized by the stepwise transformation of 2,5­dihydroxybenzoic acid to a range of 2,5­substituted benzoic acid derivatives, incorporating the key sulfate groups to mimic the interactions of heparan sulfate. Endothelial function was assessed using acetylcholine­induced, endotheliumdependent relaxation in mouse thoracic aortic rings using wire myography. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) behavior was evaluated in the presence or absence of the free fatty acid, palmitate, with or without glycomimetics (1µM). DAF­2 and H2DCF­DA assays were used to determine nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, respectively. Lipid peroxidation colorimetric and antioxidant enzyme activity assays were also carried out. RT­PCR and western blotting were utilized to measure Akt, eNOS, Nrf­2, NQO­1 and HO­1 expression. Results: Ex vivo endothelium­dependent relaxation was significantly improved by the glycomimetics under palmitate­induced oxidative stress. In vitro studies showed that the glycomimetics protected HUVECs against the palmitate­induced oxidative stress and enhanced NO production. We demonstrate that the protective effects of pre­incubation with glycomimetics occurred via upregulation of Akt/eNOS signaling, activation of the Nrf2/ARE pathway, and suppression of ROS­induced lipid peroxidation. Conclusion: We have developed a novel set of small molecule glycomimetics that protect against free fatty acidinduced endothelial dysfunction and thus, represent a new category of therapeutic drugs to target endothelial damage, the first line of defense against cardiovascular disease

Effets des non-linéarités et de la dispersion thermique sur la convection naturelle en milieu poreux confiné

This study deals with the numerical simulation of natural convection for saturated porous media enclosed in a differentially heated, two-dimensional, rectangular cavity. A finite volume solution procedure is used to solve the Darcy model with one energy equation, including the Brinkman and the Forchheimer extensions. The numerical results show that the introduction of the viscous and inertia terms leads to a significant reduction of the heat transfer. Then thermal dispersion in the porous medium is taken into account through a semi-empirical law of variation of the effective thermal conductivity as a linear function of the local filtration velocity. The computations show that thermal dispersion increases the heat transfert through the porous medium : this influence compensates the reduction due to the Bririkman and Forchheimer terms and leads to a better agreement with the available experimental data.Ce travail présente une étude numérique de la convection naturelle dans un milieu poreux saturé, confiné dans une cavité rectangulaire verticale (2D), chauffée différentiellement. Nous utilisons une méthode de volumes finis pour résoudre le modèle de Darcy à une seule équation d'énergie avec les extensions de Brinkman et de Forchheimer. Les résultats obtenus montrent que les effets de viscosité et d'inertie réduisent notablement le transfert de chaleur. Nous introduisons la dispersion thermique en considérant que la conductivité thermique effective du milieu poreux est une fonction linéaire du module de la vitesse. Les simulations montrent que la prise en compte de la dispersion thermique augmente le transfert de chaleur et que sa contribution est relativement importante par rapport à celles des effets de viscosité et d'inertie

Double-diffusive and Soret-induced convection of a micropolar fluid in a vertical channel

AbstractThis paper reports an investigation of the fully developed natural convection heat and mass transfer of a micropolar fluid in a vertical channel. Asymmetric temperature and concentration boundary conditions are applied to the walls of the channel. The cases of double diffusion and Soret-induced convection are both considered. The governing parameters for the problem are the buoyancy ratio and the various material parameters of the micropolar fluid. The resulting non-dimensional boundary value problem is solved analytically in closed form using MAPLE software. A numerical solution of the time dependent governing equations is demonstrated to be in good agreement with the analytical model. The influence of the governing parameters on the fluid flow as well as heat and solute transfers is demonstrated to be significant

Etude du bruit acoustique d'arcs électriques ; cas des fours à arcs industriels

Il est montré que la génération d'ondes acoustiques par des fours à arcs est due aux variations de la puissance électrique d'alimentation de ces fours ; les valeurs instantanées de la fluctuation de pression générée sont, comme prévu par l'étude préalable en laboratoire, liées à la dérivée temporelle de cette puissance. On procède dans un deuxième temps à l'étude des effets d'ensemencement d'un arc par un alcalin, mettant ainsi en évidence la possibilité de réduire le taux de fluctuations de la puissance électrique cédée à l'arc et donc aussi le niveau sonore généré. L'étude met en outre en évidence une diminution de l'impédance de l'arc qui implique, à tension d'alimentation donnée, un accroissement de la puissance moyenne dans cet arc. Les conséquences industrielles de ce travail sont explicitées