Single-stage experimental evaluation of tandem-airfoil rotor and stator blading for compressors. Part 1: Analysis and design of stages A, B, and C

A conventional rotor and stator, two dual-airfoil tandem rotors, and one dual-airfoil tandem stator were designed. The two tandem rotors were each designed with different percentages of the overall lift produced by the front airfoil. Velocity diagrams and blade leading and trailing edge metal angles selected for the conventional rotor and stator blading were used in the design of the tandem blading. Rotor inlet hub/tip ratio was 0.8. Design values of rotor tip velocity and stage pressure ratio were 757 ft/sec and 1.30, respectively

Single-stage experimental evaluation of tandem-airfoil rotor and stator blading for compressors. Part 7: Data and performance for stage E

An axial flow compressor stage, having tandem airfoil blading, was designed for zero rotor prewhirl, constant rotor work across the span, and axial discharge flow. The stage was designed to produce a pressure ratio of 1.265 at a rotor tip velocity of 757 ft/sec. The rotor has an inlet hub/tip ratio of 0.8. The design procedure accounted for the rotor inlet boundary layer and included the effects of axial velocity ratio and secondary flow on blade row performance. The objectives of this experimental program were (1) to obtain performance with uniform and distorted inlet flow for comparison with the performance of a stage consisting of single-airfoil blading designed for the same vector diagrams and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of accounting for the inlet boundary layer, axial velocity ratio, and secondary flows in the stage design

Defining Inclusionary Practices in Catholic Schools

The purpose of this article is to provide Catholic educators, administrators, families, and broader parish communities an understanding of critical elements required to effectively include all students, particularly those with disabilities, in Catholic schools. With an understanding that Catholic schools enroll and will continue to add not only students with disabilities, but also other students who may struggle with learning in some manner, the Catholic school community needs to keep abreast of effective practices that facilitate meaningful inclusion. This is especially relevant for those Catholic families who desire a Catholic education for their children with disabilities, as well as their typically developing children. This article seeks to: (a) offer a rationale for the need to include all learners in our Catholic schools through the reinforcement of Catechetical teachings, (b) define inclusion in Catholic education, (c) outline characteristics of high quality, inclusive schools, (d) review relevant research on inclusion that is applicable to the needs of our Catholic school environments, and (e) provide a case study of an effective, inclusive Catholic school to further contextualize to the field what is not only possible, even given limited resources, but what is happening in today’s Catholic school settings

Cyclotron resonant scattering feature simulations. I. Thermally averaged cyclotron scattering cross sections, mean free photon-path tables, and electron momentum sampling

Electron cyclotron resonant scattering features (CRSFs) are observed as absorption-like lines in the spectra of X-ray pulsars. A significant fraction of the computing time for Monte Carlo simulations of these quantum mechanical features is spent on the calculation of the mean free path for each individual photon before scattering, since it involves a complex numerical integration over the scattering cross section and the (thermal) velocity distribution of the scattering electrons. We aim to numerically calculate interpolation tables which can be used in CRSF simulations to sample the mean free path of the scattering photon and the momentum of the scattering electron. The tables also contain all the information required for sampling the scattering electron's final spin. The tables were calculated using an adaptive Simpson integration scheme. The energy and angle grids were refined until a prescribed accuracy is reached. The tables are used by our simulation code to produce artificial CRSF spectra. The electron momenta sampled during these simulations were analyzed and justified using theoretically determined boundaries. We present a complete set of tables suited for mean free path calculations of Monte Carlo simulations of the cyclotron scattering process for conditions expected in typical X-ray pulsar accretion columns (0.01<B/B_{crit}<=0.12, where B_{crit}=4.413x10^{13} G and 3keV<=kT<15keV). The sampling of the tables is chosen such that the results have an estimated relative error of at most 1/15 for all points in the grid. The tables are available online at http://www.sternwarte.uni-erlangen.de/research/cyclo.Comment: A&A, in pres

A Forum for Business Growth and Workforce Development: Findings and Recommendations

In the fall of 2008, Illinois State University – Extended University (EU) and the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area (EDC) initiated discussions about a community partnership project to identify workforce opportunities and challenges related to economic stabilization and growth in order to gain a better understanding of the state of workforce preparedness in the area. Rapidly changing dynamics in the economy made previous assessments obsolete. Organizations who work toward the promotion of a strong workforce were approached to participate in the project. EU and the EDC were joined in sponsoring a community event by Heartland Community College, Illinois Wesleyan University, Lincoln College – Normal, Regional Office of Education 17, McLean County Chamber of Commerce, CareerLink 16, and the Small Business Development Center at Illinois State University. Project partners designed and developed a series of discussion forums for eight sectors: Agriculture and Energy, Manufacturing, Small Business Retail, Service, Financial Services, Information Technology, Healthcare, and Construction. The Forum for Business Growth and Workforce Development was held from June 8 – 12, 2009 at Illinois State University. Each sector panel discussion was moderated over a ninety minute period and included two to seven panelists from area businesses

Mechanical Percussion Devices: A Survey of Practice Patterns Among Healthcare Professionals

# Background Mechanical percussion devices have become popular among sports medicine professionals. These devices provide a similar effect as manual percussion or tapotement used in therapeutic massage. To date, there are few published studies or evidence-based guidelines for these devices. There is a need to understand what professionals believe about this technology and how they use these devices in clinical practice. # Purpose To survey and document the knowledge, clinical application methods, and use of mechanical percussion devices among healthcare professionals in the United States. # Design Cross-sectional survey study. # Methods A 25 question online survey was emailed to members of the National Athletic Trainers Association, Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy, and American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy. # Results Four hundred twenty-five professionals completed the survey. Most professionals (92%, n=391) used devices from two manufacturers: Hyperice® and Theragun®. Seventy-seven percent directed clients to manufacturer and generic websites (n=329) to purchase devices. Most respondents used a medium and low device speed setting for pre- and post-exercise (62%, n=185), pain modulation (59%, n=253), and myofascial mobility (52%, n=222). A large proportion of respondents preferred a total treatment time between 30 seconds and three minutes (36-48%, n=153-204) or three to five minutes (18-22%, n=76-93). Most respondents (54-69%, n=229-293) believed that mechanical percussion increases local blood flow, modulates pain, enhances myofascial mobility, and reduces myofascial restrictions. Most respondents (72%, n=305) were influenced by other colleagues to use these devices. Sixty-six percent used patient reported outcomes (n=280) to document treatment efficacy. Live instruction was the most common mode of education (79%, n=334). # Conclusion These results are a starting point for future research and provide insight into how professionals use mechanical percussion devices. This survey also highlights the existing gap between research and practice. Future research should examine the efficacy of this technology and determine consensus-based guidelines. # Level of Evidence

The effect of S-substitution at the O6-guanine site on the structure and dynamics of a DNA oligomer containing a G:T mismatch

The effect of S-substitution on the O6 guanine site of a 13-mer DNA duplex containing a G:T mismatch is studied using molecular dynamics. The structure, dynamic evolution and hydration of the S-substituted duplex are compared with those of a normal duplex, a duplex with Ssubstitution on guanine, but no mismatch and a duplex with just a G:T mismatch. The S-substituted mismatch leads to cell death rather than repair. One suggestion is that the G:T mismatch recognition protein recognises the S-substituted mismatch (GS:T) as G:T. This leads to a cycle of futile repair ending in DNA breakage and cell death. We find that some structural features of the helix are similar for the duplex with the G:T mismatch and that with the S-substituted mismatch, but differ from the normal duplex, notably the helical twist. These differences arise from the change in the hydrogen-bonding pattern of the base pair. However a marked feature of the S-substituted G:T mismatch duplex is a very large opening. This showed considerable variability. It is suggested that this enlarged opening would lend support to an alternative model of cell death in which the mismatch protein attaches to thioguanine and activates downstream damage-response pathways. Attack on the sulphur by reactive oxygen species, also leading to cell death, would also be aided by the large, variable opening

Dimensionality of Carbon Nanomaterials Determines the Binding and Dynamics of Amyloidogenic Peptides: Multiscale Theoretical Simulations

Experimental studies have demonstrated that nanoparticles can affect the rate of protein self-assembly, possibly interfering with the development of protein misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and prion disease caused by aggregation and fibril formation of amyloid-prone proteins. We employ classical molecular dynamics simulations and large-scale density functional theory calculations to investigate the effects of nanomaterials on the structure, dynamics and binding of an amyloidogenic peptide apoC-II(60-70). We show that the binding affinity of this peptide to carbonaceous nanomaterials such as C60, nanotubes and graphene decreases with increasing nanoparticle curvature. Strong binding is facilitated by the large contact area available for π-stacking between the aromatic residues of the peptide and the extended surfaces of graphene and the nanotube. The highly curved fullerene surface exhibits reduced efficiency for π-stacking but promotes increased peptide dynamics. We postulate that the increase in conformational dynamics of the amyloid peptide can be unfavorable for the formation of fibril competent structures. In contrast, extended fibril forming peptide conformations are promoted by the nanotube and graphene surfaces which can provide a template for fibril-growth