Quiet, Clean, Short-Haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) Over-The-Wing (OTW) engine acoustic design

The acoustic considerations involved in the low source noise basic engine design and the design procedures followed in the development of the over-the-wing (OTW) nacelle acoustic treatment design are presented. Laboratory experiments, component tests, and scale model and engine tests supporting the OTW engine acoustic design are referenced. Acoustic design features include a near-sonic inlet, low fan and core pressure ratios, low fan tip speed, high and low frequency stacked core treatment, multiple thickness treatment, and fan frame and stator vane treatment

Quiet Clean Short-haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE). Core engine noise measurements

Noise measurements were taken on a turbofan engine which uses the same core, with minor modifications, employed on the quiet clean short-haul experimental engine (QCSEE) propulsion systems. Both nearfield and farfield noise measurements were taken in order to determine the core internally generated noise levels. The resulting noise measurements were compared to predicted combustor and turbine noise levels, to verify or improve the predicted QCSEE combustor and turbine noise levels

TF34 Quiet Nacelle nearfield acoustic test results

The results of the nearfield acoustic tests conducted on the TF34 Quiet Nacelle are presented. The high fan noise suppression levels being sought (26 PNdB reduction in aft noise) necessitated the use of an extensive system of special nearfield acoustic instrumentation to properly evaluate the suppression achieved. The design, operation, and test results from each of these nearfield acoustic instrumentation systems are presented

Health Care Provider’s Perceptions of the Transition Between Pediatric to Adolescent and Adulthood: A Qualitative Inquiry

This study examines the current practices provided from pediatric to adult health care for children with special health care needs at FQHCs using the Six Core Elements of Health Care. Methods: A phenomenological approach was used to recruit and interview ten (10) health leaders from FQHCs. The participants were recruited through this letter sent to the Mid-Atlantic Association of Community Health Center. The researchers-initiated contact with the key informant to introduce them to the study. After consent was obtained, demographic information collected, and interviews were scheduled. During the semi-structured interview session, the key informant was asked questions related to their knowledge about the transition from pediatric to adult health care. Each interview lasted approximately 20 minutes, and analysis using ATLAS.ti version 8. Results: Ten (n=10) leaders participated in the study, of which three (n=3) were males and seven (n=7) females. Three main themes identified were Education and Training, Barriers to transitional practices, and Organizational Infrastructure hurdles. Discussion and Conclusion: Our current study finds that healthcare transition practices in FQHCs are not aligned with the six core elements of healthcare transition. Structured health care transition is likely when leadership and resources are accessible to achieve support for the required responsibilities

Quiet, Clean, Short-Haul, Experimental Engine (QCSEE) Under-The-Wing (UTW) engine acoustic design

The acoustic considerations involved in the low source noise basic engine design and the design procedures followed in the development of the under-the-wing (UTW) engine boilerplate and composite nacelle acoustic treatment designs are presented. Laboratory experiments, component tests, and scale model and engine tests supporting the UTW engine acoustic design are referenced. Acoustic design features include a near-sonic inlet, low fan and core pressure ratios, low fan tip speed, high and low frequency stacked core treatment, multiple thickness treatment, and fan frame and stator vane treatment

Cardiovascular and inflammatory effects of simvastatin therapy in patients with COPD: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: There is excess cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Aortic stiffness, an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk, and systemic and airway inflammation are increased in patients with the disease. Statins modulate aortic stiffness and have anti-inflammatory properties. A proof-of-principle, double-blind, randomized trial determined if 6 weeks of simvastatin 20 mg once daily reduced aortic stiffness and systemic and airway inflammation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. METHODS: Stable patients (n=70) were randomized to simvastatin (active) or placebo. Pre-treatment and post-treatment aortic stiffness, blood pressure, spirometry, and circulating and airway inflammatory mediators and lipids were measured. A predefined subgroup analysis was performed where baseline aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) was >10 m/sec. RESULTS: Total cholesterol dropped in the active group. There was no significant change in aortic PWV between the active group and the placebo group (-0.7 m/sec, P=0.24). In those with aortic stiffness >10 m/sec (n=22), aortic PWV improved in the active group compared with the placebo group (-2.8 m/sec, P=0.03). Neither systemic nor airway inflammatory markers changed. CONCLUSION: There was a nonsignificant improvement in aortic PWV in those taking simvastatin 20 mg compared with placebo, but in those with higher baseline aortic stiffness (a higher risk group) a significant and clinically relevant reduction in PWV was shown

Single-cell quantification of IL-2 response by effector and regulatory T cells reveals critical plasticity in immune response

The sensitivity of T cells to interleukin-2 (IL-2) can vary by three orders of magnitude and is determined by the surface densities of the IL-2 receptor α subunits.Regulatory T cells inflict a double hit on effector T cells by lowering the bulk IL-2 concentration as well as the sensitivity of effector T cells to this crucial cytokine.This double hit deprives weakly activated effector T cells of pSTAT5 survival signals while having only minimal effects on strongly activated effector cells that express increased levels of the IL-2 receptor.Short-term signaling differences lead to a differential functional in terms of proliferation and cell division: regulatory T cell specifically suppress weakly activated effector T cells even at large numbers; small numbers of strongly activated effector T cells overcome the suppression

First Observation and Measurement of the Decay K+- -> pi+- e+ e- gamma

Using the full data set of the NA48/2 experiment, the decay K+- -> pi+- e+ e- gamma is observed for the first time, selecting 120 candidates with 7.3 +- 1.7 estimated background events. With K+- -> pi+- pi0D as normalisation channel, the branching ratio is determined in a model-independent way to be Br(K+- -> pi+- e+ e- gamma, m_eegamma > 260 MeV/c^2) = (1.19 +- 0.12_stat +- 0.04_syst) x 10^-8. This measured value and the spectrum of the e+ e- gamma invariant mass allow a comparison with predictions of Chiral Perturbation Theory.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys.Lett.

VAST: An ASKAP Survey for Variables and Slow Transients

The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) will give us an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the transient sky at radio wavelengths. In this paper we present VAST, an ASKAP survey for Variables and Slow Transients. VAST will exploit the wide-field survey capabilities of ASKAP to enable the discovery and investigation of variable and transient phenomena from the local to the cosmological, including flare stars, intermittent pulsars, X-ray binaries, magnetars, extreme scattering events, interstellar scintillation, radio supernovae and orphan afterglows of gamma ray bursts. In addition, it will allow us to probe unexplored regions of parameter space where new classes of transient sources may be detected. In this paper we review the known radio transient and variable populations and the current results from blind radio surveys. We outline a comprehensive program based on a multi-tiered survey strategy to characterise the radio transient sky through detection and monitoring of transient and variable sources on the ASKAP imaging timescales of five seconds and greater. We also present an analysis of the expected source populations that we will be able to detect with VAST.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figures. Submitted for publication in Pub. Astron. Soc. Australi