INCAS SUBSONIC WIND TUNNEL

The INCAS Subsonic Wind Tunnel is a closed circuit, continuous, atmospheric pressure facility with a maximum speed of 110 m/s. The test section is octagonal ,of 2.5 m wide, 2.0 m high and 4 m long. The tunnel is powered by a 1200 kW, air cooled variable speed DC motor which drives a 12 blade, 3.5 m diameter fan and is equipped with a six component pyramidal type external mechanical balance with a 700 Kgf maximum lift capacity.The angle of attack range is between -45º and +45º while the yaw angle range is between -140º and +216º .The data acquisition system has been modified recently to allow the recording of all test data on a PC - type computer using LABVIEW and a PXI – type chassis containing specialized data acquisition modules.The tunnel is equipped with a variable frequency electrical supply system for powered models and a 10 bar compressed air supply for pneumatic flow control applications.In the recent years the subsonic wind tunnel has been intensively used for tests within several European projects (AVERT, CESAR and others)

The nuclei of the hypothalamus in cow

As a research material we have used the hypothalamo-hypophyseal complexes of 21 cows in the phases of their sexual cycle. From the 21 samples, we have obtained only ten hypothalamico-hypophyseal complexes; in 11 females, the hypothalamus has been obtained separately from the hypophysis, because of the difficulty in getting the complex of the whole. The samples have been fixed in Orth, Carnoy and Helly, led up to paraffin and serially sectioned at 5 μm. We have finally obtained 550 serial sections, stained through the methods Novelli, PAS, Fontana, Steedman-Mowry, Mikami, Bielschowsky, Bodian, Holmes and Nissl. In the cow hypothalamus, we have found the following groups of neurons: anterior (nucleus supraopticus – NSO; nucleus paraventricularis – NPV), middle (nucleus infundibularis), lateral (nucleus hypothalamicus dorsomedialis; nucleus hypotalamicus ventromedialis) and posterior (nucleus periventricularis caudalis; nucleus premamilaris; nucleus corporis mamilaris). The name of the groups was given according to their site, compared to the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal tract. In the walls of the third hypothalamus ventricle in cow the neurons were localized, which elaborated the releasing hormones (RH) for the gonadotrophic hormones. These neurons have structured the nucleus infundibularis of the cow hypothalamus. The neurons were multipolar, with an average size of 10-12 μm, a 5 μm large vesiculous nucleus and nucleolated. In the neuroplasm of the axon hillock, we have found the numerous PAS-positive granules. These granules were positive in Mikami staining, got stained in blue, which demonstrated that they were of polypeptidic nature. FSH-RH and LH-RH are polypeptids and stimulated the secretions of the gonadotrophic hormones in the β-FSH and the γ-LH cells from the cow adenohypophysis

The follicular structures in the intermediary lobe of the bull hypophysis

As a research material we have used the hypophyses of 14 Holstein bulls aged of 3-8 years. The samples have been fixed in Orth, Carnoy, and Helly, led up to paraffin, and serially sectioned at 5 μm. We have finally obtained 420 serial sections stained through the methods Novelli, PAS, Papanicolau, MH2, Fontana, Steedman-Mowry, Bielschowsky, Bodian and Holmes. The intermediary lobe is well developed in the bull. It is always adjacent to the posterior lobe of the bull hypophysis, and separated from it by a discontinuous layer of conjunctive tissue. The follicular structures (110-360 μm), containing colloid in the lumen, were found in the intermediary lobe of 14 bull hypophysis. A thin conjunctive tissue separated these follicular structures. They formed cysts, which contained colloid. The colloid is a palestaining material, PAS-positive, and is surrounded by simple squamous or cubical epithelium. The colloid consists in a glycoprotein in the Steedman-Mowry stain. The intermediary lobe of the hypophysis makes a hormone MSH (Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone), which is responsible for the expansion of melanocytes from the animals’ skin