Computer program grade for design and analysis of graded-porosity heat-pipe wicks

A computer program for numerical solution of differential equations that describe heat pipes with graded-porosity fibrous wicks is discussed. A mathematical problem is provided with a summary of the input and output steps used to solve it. The program is also applied to the analysis of a typical heat pipe

Computer program grade 2 for the design and analysis of heat-pipe wicks

This user's manual describes the revised version of the computer program GRADE(1), which designs and analyzes heat pipes with graded porosity fibrous slab wicks. The revisions are: (1) automatic calculation of the minimum condenser-end stress that will not result in an excess-liquid puddle or a liquid slug in the vapor space; (2) numerical solution of the equations describing flow in the circumferential grooves to assess the burnout criterion; (3) calculation of the contribution of excess liquid in fillets and puddles to the heat-transport; (4) calculation of the effect of partial saturation on the wick performance; and (5) calculation of the effect of vapor flow, which includes viscousinertial interactions

Computer integration of hydrodynamics equations for heat pipes

Program has five operational modes that provide user flexibility in answering crucial heat-pipe design questions. User specifies heat input and rejection distribution

Parametric performance of circumferentially grooved heat pipes with homogeneous and graded-porosity slab wicks at cryogenic temperatures

A recently developed, potentially high-performance nonarterial wick has been extensively tested. This slab wick has an axially varying porosity which can be tailored to match the local stress imposed on the wick. The purpose of the tests was to establish the usefulness of the graded-porosity slab wick at cryogenic temperatures between 110 K and 260 K, with methane and ethane as working fluids. For comparison, a homogeneous (i.e., uniform porosity) slab wick was also tested. The tests included: (1) maximum heat pipe performance as a function of fluid inventory, (2) maximum performance as a function of operating temperature, (3) maximum performance as a function of evaporator elevation, and (4) influence of slab wick orientation on performance. The experimental data was compared with theoretical predictions obtained with the computer program GRADE

Experiments on the injection and containment of electron clouds in a toroidal apparatus

Injection and containment of electron clouds in azimuthally symmetric, toroidal apparatu

CSF protein dynamics in murine models of α-synucleinopathy and cerebral β-amyloidosis

Parkinson’s (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are the two most common neurodegen- erative diseases and of growing importance for the rapidly aging population of indus- trialized countries. A common feature of both diseases is the progressive accumulation of proteins in insoluble aggregates, which are considered to play a fundamental role in the pathogeneses ultimately resulting in marked neuronal loss. The histopathological hallmark features of PD are called Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites (LNs), both consisting predominantly of aggregated a-synuclein (aSyn), while neuropathological di- agnosis of AD relies on the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques com- prised of hyperphosphorylated tau-protein or amyloid-b (Ab), respectively. However, the implicated pathological mechanisms and pathways contributing to these diseases are still not fully understood and numerous studies emphasize the need for early diagnosis before major neuron-loss occurs. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is in close contact with the central nervous system and therefore a valuable source of biochemical markers reflecting pathological changes in the brain and spinal cord. For AD, three core CSF biomarkers (Ab, total-tau & phospho-tau) have been identified and extensively validated over the last years, while established biochemical markers are virtually absent for the diagnosis of PD. The aim of the thesis was to investigate proteome alteration in the presence of different types of protein aggregates and ultimately to identify novel biochemical markers of disease. Therefore, transgenic mouse models of a-synucleinopathy or b-amyloidosis, the hallmark neuropathological aspects of PD or AD, were used. These mice express mutated human genes initially identified in patients suffering from familial forms of PD or AD. The first set of experiments focused on the identification of proteins altered in the CSF of these models. This was done in an unbiased mass spectrometry-based shotgun approach, which led to the quantification of 636 and 665 CSF proteins in aged A30P- aSyn and APPPS1 cohorts, respectively. Both datasets contained transgene-related CSF protein changes that have already been associated with PD or AD, such as amy- loid precursor protein (APP)-derived peptides, TREM2, ApoE or neurofilament light (NfL), but also yielded novel insights in protein alterations, such as LAG-3, CART and lysosomal proteins. Next, both datasets generated from A30P-aSyn and APPPS1 CSF were compared and revealed a marked overlap of proteins deregulated in both models. The second part of the thesis focused on NfL, which plays a key role in axonal sta- bilization and gained attention as biomarker of axonal injury in multiple neurological disorders. A validated immunoassay was used for the quantification of NfL in CSF and plasma of A30P-aSyn, APPPS1 and a third mouse line expressing an A53T mutation in aSyn. Markedly elevated levels were found in CSF and plasma of the mice at the same age as the respective brain lesions became apparent. This demonstrates that CSF and blood NfL increases are not specific for aggregated aSyn or b-amyloid and emphasizes its potential as marker of axonal damage upon neurodegeneration. In conclusion, hundreds of proteins were quantified in the CSF of mouse models for a-synucleinopathy and b-amyloidosis. The datasets at hand provide novel and unbiased insights in pathological processes on molecular level and reveal common and distinct features of the respective pathology. The high proportion of hits related to PD, AD and other neurodegenerative diseases, as evaluated in human-based studies, substan- tiates the confidence in the high quality of the datasets and the translational value of the mouse models. Taken together, these findings provide a rich resource for the identification of novel biomarkers and their value concerning differential diagnosis

Variable Conductance Heat Pipe Technology

A research and development program in variable conductance heat pipe technology is reported. The project involved: (1) theoretical and/or experimental studies in hydrostatics, (2) hydrodynamics, (3) heat transfer into and out of the pipe, (4) fluid selection, and (5) materials compatibility. The development, fabrication, and test of the space hardware resulted in a successful flight of the heat pipe experiment on the OAO-3 satellite. A summary of the program is provided and a guide to the location of publications on the project is included

The Role of an Irrelevant Drive Stimulus in the Acquisition of Habit Strength

One of the concepts most central to Clark L. Hull\u27s systematic theory of behavior is the concept of habit strength, a logical construct which represents the strength of learning in an organism. Habit strength has the status of an intervening variable, and by that, it is meant that it is an hypothetical state of an organism, which is functionally related to antecedent, observable and manipulable events, on the one side, and to certain response manifestations, such as latency, frequency, and resistance to extinction, on the other. It is the task of the experimentalist in the field of learning theory to isolate those variable of which this hypothetical learning state is a function, and even more, to state such functions in precise mathematical terms. Often such endeavors leave in their wake minor theoretical issues which are in the need of clarification. It is with such a minor problem that the present experiment is concerned

Filter-based Air Sampler Capable of Integration into Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles [US 11619570 B1]

A filter-based air sampler, more specifically a filter-based air sampler capable of integration into small unmanned aerial systems is disclosed. The filter-based air sampler may include a filter assembly which has as its component parts: an open faced air intake component, a filter, and a filter support that has a central supporting grid. The filter assembly may joined to the housing of a fan, such as a centrifugal fan, with the supporting grid of the filter support being disposed over the air inlet of the fan

Interventioneller Verschluss oder medikamentöse Therapie bei Patienten mit peristierendem Foramen ovale und kryptogenem Schlaganfall / transitorisch ischämischer Attacke

Hintergrund: Bis vor wenigen Jahren gab es keine eindeutigen Empfehlungen zur Sekundärprävention nach ischämischem Schlaganfall (IS)/transitorischer ischämischer Attacke (TIA), die auf ein persistierendes Foramen ovale (PFO) zurückzuführen waren. Mehrere groß angelegte randomisiert kontrollierte Studien (RCT) lieferten hierbei vor allem Richtlinien für Patienten unter dem 60. Lebensjahr. Ziel dieser Studie ist es, das interventionelle und medikamentöse PFO-Management bei kryptogenem Schlaganfall oder TIA zu vergleichen. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wurde hier auf Patienten über 60 Jahre gelegt. Methoden: Es handelt sich um eine prospektiv angelegte Kohortenstudie, in die kontinuierlich PFO-Patienten mit kryptogenem Schlaganfall oder TIA eingeschlossen wurden. Diese Patienten stellten sich auf der Schlaganfallstation (Stroke Unit) der Neurologie der Universitätsklinik Tübingen, Deutschland, vor. Gemäß der SOP wurde der PFO-Verschluss bei Patienten, die 70 Jahre oder jünger waren, mit Hochrisiko-PFO (d.h. ein PFO mit entweder einem assoziierten Vorhofseptum-Aneurysma (ASA), spontanem oder einem hochgradigen Rechts-Links-Shunt bei Valsalva), indiziert. Die primären (rezidivierende ischämische Schlaganfälle oder intrakranielle Blutung) und sekundären Endpunkte (z.B. Grad der Behinderung) wurden während einer mindestens einjährigen Nachbeobachtungszeit beurteilt. Zudem erfolgte eine Subgruppenanalyse von Patienten ≤ 60 und > 60 Jahre. Ergebnisse: 236 Patienten im medianen Alter von 58 (Bereich 18-88) Jahre, wurden kontinuierlich eingeschlossen. 38,6 % der Patienten waren weiblich und der mediane National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Score (NIHSS) lag bei 1 (IQR 0-4). Die Nachverfolgungszeit betrug im Durchschnitt 2.6 ± 1.3 Jahre. Keine intrakraniellen Blutungen wurden beobachtet. Die Rezidivrate für ischämische Schlaganfälle nach PFO-Verschluss lag bei 2.9 % (95% CI 0-6.8 %) bei Hochrisiko-PFO Patienten ≤ 60 Jahre (n = 103), aber bei 7.0 % (4-16.4) bei Hochrisiko-Patienten > 60 Jahre (n = 43) versus 4 % (0-11.5) bei reiner medikamentöser Therapie (n = 28). 42 Patienten mit Niedrigrisiko-PFO und medikamentöser Therapie hatten kein Rezidiv eines Schlaganfalls oder einer TIA. Schlussfolgerung: In unserer prospektiven Studie waren die Schlaganfallrezidivraten bei Hochrisiko-PFO Patienten ≤ 60. Lebensjahr mit interventionellem Verschluss vergleichbar mit den Rezidivraten, die in den letzten randomisiert kontrollierten Studien beobachtet wurden. Hochrisiko-PFO Patienten > 60. Lebensjahr mit interventionellem Verschluss zeigten eine ähnliche Rezidivrate für ischämische Schlaganfälle wie die Patienten mit alleiniger medikamentöser Therapie. Eine medikamentöse Therapie scheint die geeignete Behandlung für Patienten mit Niedrigrisiko-PFO zu sein