Aerodynamic Evaluation of Two Compact Radial-Inflow Turbine Rotors

The aerodynamic evaluation of two highly loaded compact radial turbine rotors was conducted at the NASA Lewis Research Center Small Engine Component Test Facility (SECTF). The experimental results were used for proof-of-concept, for modeling radial inflow turbine rotors, and for providing data for code verification. Two rotors were designed to have a shorter axial length, up to a 10-percent reduced diameter, a lighter weight, and equal or higher efficiencies with those of conventional radial inflow turbine rotors. Three configurations were tested: rotor 1, having a 40-percent shorter axial length, with the design stator (stator 1); rotor 1 with the design stator vanes closed down (stator 2); and rotor 2, slightly shorter axially and having higher loading, with stator 2. The stator had 36 vanes and the rotors each had 14 solid blades. Although presently uncooled, the rotor blades were designed for thicknesses which would allow cooling passages to be added. The overall stage performance measurements and the rotor and stator exit flow field surveys were obtained. Measurements of steady state temperatures, pressures, mass flow rates, flow angles, and output power were made at various operating conditions. Data were obtained at corrected speeds of 80, 90, 100, 110, and 120 percent of design over a range of equivalent inlet-to-exit pressure ratios of 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0, the maximum pressure ratio achieved. The test showed that the configuration of rotor 1 with stator 1 running at the design pressure ratio produced a flow rate which was 5.6 percent higher than expected. This result indicated the need to close down the stator flow area to reduce the flow. The flow area reduction was accomplished by restaggering the vanes. Rotor 1 was retested with the closed-down stator vanes and achieved the correct mass flow. Rotor 2 was tested only with the restaggered vanes. The test results of the three turbine configurations were nearly identical. Although the measured efficiencies of the compact designs fell 2 to 3 points below the predicted efficiency of 91 percent, they did meet and exceed by up to 2.5 percentage points the efficiences of state-of-the-art turbines found in the literature

Convergence calls: multimedia storytelling at British news websites

This article uses qualitative interviews with senior editors and managers from a selection of the UK's national online news providers to describe and analyse their current experimentation with multimedia and video storytelling. The results show that, in a period of declining newspaper readership and TV news viewing, editors are keen to embrace new technologies, which are seen as being part of the future of news. At the same time, text is still reported to be the cornerstone for news websites, leading to changes in the grammar and function of news video when used online. The economic rationale for convergence is examined and the article investigates the partnerships sites have entered into in order to be able to serve their audience with video content. In-house video is complementing syndicated content, and the authors examine the resulting developments in newsroom training and recruitment practices. The article provides journalism and interactive media scholars with case studies on the changes taking place in newsrooms as a result of the shift towards multimedia, multiplatform news consumption

Stable reference genes for the measurement of transcript abundance during larval caste development in the honeybee

Many genes are differentially regulated by caste development in the honeybee. Identifying and understanding these differences is key to discovering the mechanisms underlying this process. To identify these gene expression differences requires robust methods to measure transcript abundance. RT-qPCR is currently the gold standard to measure gene expression, but requires stable reference genes to compare gene expression changes. Such reference genes have not been established for honeybee caste development. Here, we identify and test potential reference genes that have stable expression throughout larval development between the two female castes. In this study, 15 candidate reference genes were examined to identify the most stable reference genes. Three algorithms (GeNorm, Bestkeeper and NormFinder) were used to rank the candidate reference genes based on their stability between the castes throughout larval development. Of these genes Ndufa8 (the orthologue of a component of complex one of the mitochondrial electron transport chain) and Pros54 (orthologous to a component of the 26S proteasome) were identified as being the most stable. When these two genes were used to normalise expression of two target genes (previously found to be differentially expressed between queen and worker larvae by microarray analysis) they were able to more accurately detect differential expression than two previously used reference genes (awd and RpL12). The identification of these novel reference genes will be of benefit to future studies of caste development in the honeybee

Surgery for Nonobese Type 2 Diabetic Patients: An Interventional Study with Duodenal-Jejunal Exclusion

A 24-week interventional prospective trial was performed to compare the benefits of open duodenal-jejunal exclusion surgery (GJB) with a matched control group on standard medical care. One-hundred eighty patients were screened for the surgical approach. Twelve patients accepted to be operated and presented the full eligibility criteria for surgery that includes overweight BMI (25-29.9 kg/m2), T2DM diagnosis for less than 15 years, insulin-treated patients, no history of major complications, preserved beta-cell function, and absence of autoimmunity. A matched control group (CG) of patients whom refused surgical treatment was placed to receive standard care. Patients had age of 50 (5) years, time of diagnosis 9 years (range, 3 to 15 years), time of insulin usage 6 months (range, 3 to 48 months), fasting glucose (FG), 9.8 (2.5) mg/dL, and glycated hemoglobin (A1C) 8.90 (2.12)%. At 24 weeks after surgery, patients experienced greater reductions on FG (14% vs. 7% on CG), A1C (from 8.78 to 7.84 in GJB-p < 0.01 and 8.93 to 8.71 in CG; p < 0.05 between groups) and reductions on average daily insulin requirement (93% vs. 29%, p < 0.01). Ten patients stopped insulin usage in GJB but they remain taking oral medications. No differences were observed in both groups regarding BMI, body distribution and composition, blood pressure, and lipids. In conclusion, duodenal-jejunal exclusion was an effective treatment for nonobese T2DM subjects. GJB was superior to standard care in achieving better glycemic control along with reduction in insulin requirements.1981077108

Reactive oxygen species production is increased in the peripheral blood monocytes of obese patients

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Infiltrating macrophages play an important role in the production of inflammatory mediators by the adipose tissue of obese subjects. To reach the adipose tissue, peripheral monocytes are recruited by locally produced chemoattractants. However, little is known about the activation of monocytes in the peripheral blood of obese subjects. The objective of this study was to determine reactive oxygen species and endoplasmic reticulum stress as early markers of monocytic commitment with an inflammatory phenotype in the peripheral blood of nondiabetic obese patients. Patients were recruited from an academic general hospital; controls were voluntary students. Seven lean controls and 6 nondiabetic obese patients were included in the Study. Monocytes were prepared from peripheral blood. Immunoblot, flow cytometry. and polymerase chain reaction were used to determine reactive oxygen species and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Increased reactive oxygen species and activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress were detected in the monocytes from obese patients. Reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress with a chemical chaperone reversed monocytic activation, as determined by the reduction of reactive oxygen species production. Thus. monocytes from nondiabetic obese patients are already committed with an inflammatory phenotype in peripheral blood; and reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress negatively modulates their activation. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.58810871095Fundacao de Amparo Pesquisa do Estado de Sao PauloConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Scaling-up of glass based DSC-modules for applications in building integrated photovoltaics

Within the German research projects ColorSol and InnoCo, a focus is put on the scaling-up of glass based dye solar cell modules and the development of a production technology. This paper reports on the successful scaling-up from 30 * 30 cm to 60 * 100 cm prototypes. First characteristics of these modules are lined out. The developed modules aim for applications in building integrated photovoltaic e.g. façades and PV-glazing. Size and technical specification of the modules follow requirements that were evaluated with architects and partners from the façade industry. For a future production partners for the value chain are being actively searched and integrated to create a network and a value chain on building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and façade applications

Neck circumference as a simple tool for identifying the metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance: results from the Brazilian Metabolic Syndrome Study

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Objective To investigate the relationship of the neck circumference (NC) with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and insulin resistance (IR) in a large Brazilian population-based sample, within a wide range of adiposity and glucose tolerance, and to establish cut-off values of the NC for MetS and IR. Context The NC correlates with cardiovascular risk factors, IR and components of MetS. Upper-body subcutaneous (sc) fat, as estimated by the NC, is associated with cardiovascular risk factors as much as abdominal fat, which is usually estimated by the waist circumference (WC). There are few epidemiological population-based studies on the clinical significance of the NC to MetS and IR. Design This is a cross-sectional study. Patients About 1053 Brazilian adults (1860years). Measurements Patients with BMI 18 center dot 540 center dot 0kg/m2, with normal glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes (T2DM), were submitted to anthropometric measurements including waist circumference (WC), NC and BMI. Abdominal visceral fat (VF) was assessed by ultrasound. Insulin sensitivity (IS) was assessed by euglycaemichyperinsulinaemic clamp (10% of total sample) and HOMA-IR. Spearman correlations were used to evaluate the association between NC and IR and MetS risk factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used for gender-specific cut-off values for the prediction of IR and MetS. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess the chance of developing IR or MetS according to the enlargement of NC and WC. Results The sample consisted of 28 center dot 6% men, with a mean age of 39 center dot 4 (12years). T2DM diagnosis was present in 306 individuals, of whom 34% were men. NC correlated with WC and BMI in both men and women (P<0 center dot 001). In both genders, NC showed a positive correlation with triglycerides, fasting glucose, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, and NC had a negative association with high-density lipoprotein (HDL). NC and IS showed a moderate negative correlation. A significant correlation was demonstrated between VF and NC. In the ROC curves, NC presented the largest AUC for IR in women (P<0 center dot 001), while NC presented a large AUC for MetS in both genders. Conclusions Neck circumference measurements are an alternative and innovative approach for determining body fat distribution. The NC is positively associated with MetS risk factors, IR and VF, with established cut-off values for the prediction of MetS and IR.786874881Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAPESP [2007/58638-0

Dye solar modules for facade applications. Recent results from project ColorSol

With respect to a first market introduction, one advantage of dye solar cell (DSC) modules is the combination of photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity with decorative aspects. We report on the recent results achieved in the frame of the German project ColorSol. The project focuses on the application field of building-integrated PVs (facades, PV-glazing, etc.). Design concepts, as well as scenarios for the application of the DSC technology in architecture and facade planning are developed and the application potential is quantified in cooperation with potential users. Prototypes of glass facade elements (70 cm x 200 cm) have been developed which consist of several serially interconnected DSC modules each with a size of 30 cm x 30 cm. The results of module characteristics under various outdoor illumination conditions and under partial shading are reported. Visual impressions of the DSC facade elements are presented