Optical investigation of ethanol and n-heptane dual-fuel partially premixed combution in s reciprocating engine

The details of the dual-fuel combustion of n-heptane and ethanol were investigated in an optically accessible engine representative of light-duty applications. Experimental work involved the application of optical diagnostics such as high-speed imaging of combustion chemiluminescence and soot radiation, spectral measurements and laser induced fluorescence. At the same time, the experimental conditions have been replicated using numerical simulation of chemically reactive in-cylinder flow. The numerical simulation results, which showed good agreement with the experimental data across several validation approaches, provided an improved understanding of the mechanism responsible for the control of the rate of combustion for dual-fuel operation. The comparison of ethanol/heptane dual-fuel operation with an n-heptane baseline investigated two possible combustion rate control mechanisms previously identified in literature. The first mechanism relies on the direct impact of auto-ignition characteristics stratification on the rate of combustion and could be termed kinetically controlled. The second mechanism is based on the formation of fast propagating flame fronts and is termed flame propagation control. While previous studies have identified the kinetic stratification as being the dominant control mechanism, under the conditions used in the current investigation, the opposite conclusion has been reached. This seems to suggest that the mechanism responsible for control of the rate of combustion shifts as a function of the value of local state variables such as temperature, pressure and equivalence ratio and further investigation is warranted

Calculus and Materials for Stirling Engines Bolter and Regenator

The performances of the Stirling engine are affected by the convection coefficient and the ldquoXrdquo factor and not only by the variation of the gas quantity from the cylinder with the medium pressure variation. The convection factor indicates that a sensibility study concerning the characteristic parameters is mandatory

Premières observations sur l'habitat chalcolithique de Taraschina (Maliuc)

International audienceLe site de Taraschina se trouve entre Ceatalul Chilia à l'Ouest, la Mer Noire à l'Est, la branche du Danube de Chilia au Nord, les collines de Tulcea et le complexe lacustre Razim-Sinoe au Sud. Le caractère exceptionnel et unique du site de Taraschina tient avant tout à sa position très avancée dans l'actuel delta du Danube. Jusqu'alors, les témoignages les plus anciens découverts en contexte alluvial dans le delta étaient attribués à l'âge du Bronze. La mise en évidence, sur le site de Taraschina, de vestiges chalcolithiques sur une superficie d'environ 1 ha (fig. 2), témoigne de l'ampleur de l'établissement. La densité du mobilier céramique, ainsi que la présence d'industrie lithique, osseuse et de pièces de broyage, accentuent le caractère pérenne de l'établissement

Repurposing anti-inflammatory drugs for fighting planktonic and biofilm growth. New carbazole derivatives based on the NSAID carprofen: synthesis, in silico and in vitro bioevaluation

IntroductionOne of the promising leads for the rapid discovery of alternative antimicrobial agents is to repurpose other drugs, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) for fighting bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance.MethodsA series of new carbazole derivatives based on the readily available anti-inflammatory drug carprofen has been obtained by nitration, halogenation and N-alkylation of carprofen and its esters. The structures of these carbazole compounds were assigned by NMR and IR spectroscopy. Regioselective electrophilic substitution by nitration and halogenation at the carbazole ring was assigned from H NMR spectra. The single crystal X-ray structures of two representative derivatives obtained by dibromination of carprofen, were also determined. The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was measured using the DPPH method. The antimicrobial activity assay was performed using quantitative methods, allowing establishment of the minimal inhibitory/bactericidal/biofilm eradication concentrations (MIC/MBC/MBEC) on Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) strains. Computational assays have been performed to assess the drug- and lead-likeness, pharmacokinetics (ADME-Tox) and pharmacogenomics profiles.Results and discussionThe crystal X-ray structures of 3,8-dibromocarprofen and its methyl ester have revealed significant differences in their supramolecular assemblies. The most active antioxidant compound was 1i, bearing one chlorine and two bromine atoms, as well as the CO2Me group. Among the tested derivatives, 1h bearing one chlorine and two bromine atoms has exhibited the widest antibacterial spectrum and the most intensive inhibitory activity, especially against the Gram-positive strains, in planktonic and biofilm growth state. The compounds 1a (bearing one chlorine, one NO2 and one CO2Me group) and 1i (bearing one chlorine, two bromine atoms and a CO2Me group) exhibited the best antibiofilm activity in the case of the P. aeruginosa strain. Moreover, these compounds comply with the drug-likeness rules, have good oral bioavailability and are not carcinogenic or mutagenic. The results demonstrate that these new carbazole derivatives have a molecular profile which deserves to be explored further for the development of novel antibacterial and antibiofilm agents

Anti–miR-93-5p therapy prolongs sepsis survival by restoring the peripheral immune response

Sepsis remains a leading cause of death for humans and currently has no pathogenesis-specific therapy. Hampered progress is partly due to a lack of insight into deep mechanistic processes. In the past decade, deciphering the functions of small noncoding miRNAs in sepsis pathogenesis became a dynamic research topic. To screen for new miRNA targets for sepsis therapeutics, we used samples for miRNA array analysis of PBMCs from patients with sepsis and control individuals, blood samples from 2 cohorts of patients with sepsis, and multiple animal models: mouse cecum ligation puncture–induced (CLP-induced) sepsis, mouse viral miRNA challenge, and baboon Gram+ and Gram– sepsis models. miR-93-5p met the criteria for a therapeutic target, as it was overexpressed in baboons that died early after induction of sepsis, was downregulated in patients who survived after sepsis, and correlated with negative clinical prognosticators for sepsis. Therapeutically, inhibition of miR-93-5p prolonged the overall survival of mice with CLP-induced sepsis, with a stronger effect in older mice. Mechanistically, anti–miR-93-5p therapy reduced inflammatory monocytes and increased circulating effector memory T cells, especially the CD4+ subset. AGO2 IP in miR-93–KO T cells identified important regulatory receptors, such as CD28, as direct miR-93-5p target genes. In conclusion, miR-93-5p is a potential therapeutic target in sepsis through the regulation of both innate and adaptive immunity, with possibly a greater benefit for elderly patients than for young patients

Novel waveguide techniques and devices in rare-earth doped glass and rare-earth indiffused lithium niobate.

The research described in this thesis focuses on the development of novel fabrication techniques and new devices in rare-earth doped glasses and lithium niobate substrates. These two substrate are among the most promising materials for the development of complex, highly efficient, integrated optical devices. We demonstrate the first Yb-doped glass waveguide laser fabricated using the ion exchange technique. Characterization of the glass and waveguides, along with device performance predictions based on laser modeling, are reported. Observations of intrinsic optical bistability in rare earth-doped waveguides are also described. We investigate a direct-write method of fabricating waveguides in glasses using femtosecond laser pulses. The direct-write method has the potential to provide a very simple, reliable and extremely convenient way of fabricating waveguides and complex three-dimensional structures in a wide variety of glasses. We report the first demonstration of a directly written waveguide amplifier in a rare earth-doped glass and characterize both the refractive index structure and losses of some directly written waveguides. Fine period gratings are also fabricated and characterized. The last portion of this thesis is concerned with active and parametric devices in rare earth-doped lithium niobate. The annealed proton exchange (APE, a waveguide fabrication technique) technique, along with rare-earth indiffusion, is used to demonstrate waveguide lasers in Nd-indiffused lithium niobate. Additionally, we report experimental data on the implementation of a ferroelectric periodic poling technique using an external electric field and the subsequent fabrication of APE waveguides in these periodically poled substrates. The integration of APE waveguides and periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) with the rare earth-indiffusion process is explored and devices based on this integration are proposed.Ph.D.Applied SciencesElectrical engineeringMaterials scienceOpticsPure SciencesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/131844/2/3057947.pd

Demonstration videos on using P swarms for deployment tasks in swarm robotics.

In this video we present the capability of the Lulu P colony / P swarn simulator to control a Kilobot robot that is a member of a swarm using a P colony based controller. The swarm application presented here is the dispersion from neighbouring robots, until a certain distance from all neighbours is reached. In the first video entitled kilombo_disperse_1000.avi, we simulated the interactions between 1000 Kilobots using the Kilombo simulator. The i5-4240 CPU used in this test allowed the simulation of 1000 robots, each one controlled by an individual P colony at a peak speed of 29 x real world speed. The source code of the P colony used for the dispersion algorithm is also included. This P colony is defined in the input file format accepted by the Lulu P colony / P swarm simulator

LA LEGIONELLOSE (MESURES DE LUTTE ET DE PREVENTION CONTRE LA TRANSMISSION DE LA MALADIE A L'HOPITAL)

PARIS12-CRETEIL BU Médecine (940282101) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF