A physics-based model for frost buildup under turbulent flow using direct numerical simulations

We present a new model for frost buildup under turbulent (and laminar) flow using direct numerical simulations. The physical model consists of two layers, the air and the frost. The air layer is fully resolved and consists of solving for the velocity, temperature, and vapor mass fraction fields. The frost layer thickness is resolved using conservation of mass and energy. Both phases are dynamically coupled using the immersed boundary method. Three-dimensional simulations are conducted in an open-channel configuration. A number of challenges need to be overcome to make these simulations feasible. First, to enforce far-field conditions of zero gradient and prescribed mean temperature and humidity, a source term is added to the energy and transport equations in the flow solver. Second, the mean frost thickness is subtracted after each time step to ensure a constant mean flow thickness and level of turbulence in the numerical domain. Third, a slow-time acceleration approach, which accelerates the frost buildup by a predetermined factor, is employed to bridge the gap between the fast turbulent and slow frost buildup time scales. Finally, a frost densification scheme is used to overcome the difficulties of vertically varying frost properties. The model is validated by comparing the frost thickness and frost thickness buildup rate over a period of one hour from a cooled flat plate experiment. Both quantities compare favorably with experiments

Relationship between aerobic and anaerobic power, and Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT) in elite Iranian male judokas

Introduction The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between aerobic and anaerobic power, and special judo fitness test in elite male judokas. Method Nineteen elite Judokas [age 24.3 (3.1) yr, height 1.78 (.06) m, body mass 76.4 (11.2) kg, body mass index 20.2 (3.6) kg·m−2 and body fat 11.0 (1.8)%] performed a graded exercise test in treadmill, the Wingate anaerobic test for arms and the special judo fitness test. The graded exercise test in treadmill estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and the Wingate anaerobic test assessed peak and mean power, descriptors of short-term power output and local muscular endurance respectively. Results The index of special judo fitness test was in inverse direct relationship with VO2max (r = -.87, p < .01), peak power (r = -.74, p < .01) and mean power (r = -.62, p < .05). Discussion Based on these findings, it was showed that the special judo fitness test is a field test that describes chiefly aerobic power, and in a lesser degree short-term power output and local muscular fatigue. Therefore, its further use from judo coaches and fitness trainers as a measure to monitor aerobic power is recommended, and the need for a field test that will describe anaerobic power is highlighted

Offering a Method to Find the Most Proper Parking Space in the City Automobile Expediency Network by Genetic Algorithm

Finding a free space for parking in rush hours and heavy traffic has been always a boring and time-consuming problem for drivers. Recently, VANET networks have found special attention among economists and university researchers. Due to day-by-day expansion of wireless communicative systems, many car manufacturers have been installing such communicative tools as OBU on their products. The RSU tools give drivers the possibility to have better and more convenient means of communication. They can trace the availability of parking spaces using these tools and be guided to there, while the automobiles can be equipped with anti-burglar systems to have a higher security. In this research, a comprehensive method using the genetic algorithm have been offered to find a place for parking in the automobile expediency network, which has considered many parameters such as parking space being located near or far, cost of parking space for drivers, the probability of parking space remaining available until the car arrives and reduced past defects as much as possible.Пошук вільного місця для стоянки в години пік завжди є проблемою для водіїв. Останнім часом суб'єкти економіки та університети приділяють особливу увагу мережам VANET. Зважаючи на постійний розвиток бездротових комунікаційних систем, чимало виробників автомобілів встановлюють на свою продукцію комунікатори, зокрема такі як, бортові пристрої обробки даних (onboard units, OBU), а придорожні пристрої (roadside units, RSU) забезпечують водіям зручний спосіб комунікації між собою. За допомогою цих інструментів водії можуть відстежувати наявність місць для паркування і маршрут до них. Окрім того, з метою підвищення безпеки вони передбачають встановлення захисних систем проти зламу. У роботі запропоновано комплексний метод на основі генетичного алгоритму для пошуку вільного паркувального місця в міській мережі автостоянок. Зазначений метод враховує значну кількість параметрів, зокрема таких як відстань до стоянки, вартість місця для паркування, ймовірність того, що місце залишиться вільним до прибуття на стоянку, а також передбачає вдосконалення роботи завдяки усуненню попередніх недоліків.Поиск свободного места для стоянки в час пик всегда является проблемой для водителей. В последнее время субъекты экономики и университеты уделяют особое внимание сетям VANET. Учитывая постоянное развитие беспроводных коммуникационных систем, значительно количество изготовителей автомобилей устанавливают на свою продукцию коммуникаторы, в частности такие как бортовые устройства обработки данных (onboard units, OBU), а придорожные устройства (roadside units, RSU) обеспечивают водителям удобный способ коммуникации между собой. При помощи этих инструментов водители могут отслеживать наличие места для парковки и маршрут к ним. Кроме того, с целью повышения безопасности они предусматривают установку защитных систем против взлома. В работе предложен комплексный метод для поиска свободного места для парковки в городской сети автостоянок, который использует генетический алгоритм. метод учитывает множество параметров, в частности таких как расстояние до стоянки, стоимость места для парковки, вероятность того, что место останется свободным до прибытия на стоянку, а также предусматривает усовершенствование работы благодаря ликвидации предыдущих недостатков

Relació entre potència aeròbica i anaeròbica i l’Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT) en judokes iranians d’elit

Introducció L’objectiu d’aquest estudi fou valorar la relació entre potència aeròbica i anaeròbica, i el test específic per al judo, Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT), en judokes iranians d’elit. Mètode Dinou judokes d’elit (edat 24,3 [3,1] anys, alçada 1,78 [0,06] m, massa corporal 76,4 [11,2] kg, índex de massa corporal 20,2 [3,6] kg/m2 i greix corporal 11,0 [1,8] %) realitzaren una prova d’esforç en una cinta ergomètrica, el test anaeròbic de Wingate amb acció de braços i l’SJFT. Amb la prova d’esforç a la cinta es calculà el consum màxim d’oxigen (VO2 max) i amb el test anaeròbic de Wingate s’avaluà la potència màxima i mitjana, que descriuen el rendiment a curt termini i la resistència muscular local, respectivament. Resultats L’índex de l’SJFT estava en relació inversa amb el VO2 max (r = −0,87, p < 0,01), la potència màxima (r = −0,74, p < 0,01) i la potència mitjana (r = −0,62, p < 0,05). Discussió D’acord amb aquestes troballes, s’ha demostrat que l’SJFT és una prova de camp que descriu principalment la potència aeròbica, i en menor grau el rendiment a curt termini i la fatiga muscular local. Per tant, se’n recomana l’ús a entrenadors i preparadors físics com a mesura de supervisió de la potència aeròbica i s’insisteix que cal un test de camp per descriure la potència anaeròbica

Engineered Tumor-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Potentials in Cancer Immunotherapy

Exosomes are nano vesicles from the larger family named Extracellular Vesicle (EV)s which are released by various cells including tumor cells, mast cells, dendritic cells, B lymphocytes, neurons, adipocytes, endothelial cells, and epithelial cells. They are considerable messengers that can exchange proteins and genetic materials between the cells. Within the past decade, Tumor derived exosomes (TEX) have been emerged as important mediators in cancer initiation, progression and metastasis as well as host immune suppression and drug resistance. Although tumor derived exosomes consist of tumor antigens and several Heat Shock Proteins such as HSP70 and HSP90 to stimulate immune response against tumor cells, they contain inhibitory molecules like Fas ligand (Fas-L), Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-β) and Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) leading to decrease the cytotoxicity and establish immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). To bypass this problem and enhance immune response, some macromolecules such as miRNAs, HSPs and activatory ligands have been recognized as potent immune inducers that could be used as anti-tumor agents to construct a nano sized tumor vaccine. Here, we discussed emerging engineered exosomes as a novel therapeutic strategy and considered the associated challenges. © Copyright © 2020 Taghikhani, Farzaneh, Sharifzad, Mardpour, Ebrahimi and Hassan

Evaluation of ultrasound technology to break seed dormancy of common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album)

Although seed dormancy is advantageous for annual plants in the wild, unsynchronized germination in the laboratory leads to increased error in measurements. Therefore techniques to promote and synchronize germination are routinely used. Ultrasound is one of the newest methods for breaking dormancy in weed seeds. We have investigated whether ultrasonic waves can be used to break seed dormancy of common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), a highly competitive annual weed that leads to significant reduction of yields of corn, soybeans, and sugar beets. Ultrasonic waves with frequency of 35kH were applied for 0 (control), 5, 10, 15 and 30 minutes using a completely randomized design. The results showed that the use of ultrasound waves generally enhanced the traits under investigation in the treated samples compared to the control sample. The maximum enhancement of germination percentage (180%), seedling dry weight (78%), and seedling vigor index I (271%) and II (392%) was seen in the common lambsquarters samples treated with ultrasound for 15 minutes and seedling length (40%) at 30 minutes compared to the control samples. Radical lengths were not statistically different from controls under any treatment and plumule length only increased marginally. These changes are reflected in seedling vigor index I and II measurements. For some of these traits, increasing the length of ultrasound treatment to 30 minutes had negative effects. These results demonstrate that ultrasound technology can be used as a quick, and efficient non-destructive method to break seed dormancy in common lambsquarters

Intracellular Trafficking Mechanisms of Synaptic Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease

The Almeida lab has been supported by FCTJPCOFUND/0004/2015; Alzheimer’s Association Research Grant (AARG-19-618007); Maratona da Saúde; H2020 Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation, H2020-WIDESPREAD01-2016-2017-TeamingPhase2-GA739572; iNOVA4Health (UID/Multi/04462/2019), a program financially supported by Fundação para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT)/Ministério da Educação e Ciencia, through national funds and co-funded by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. CG’s salary is supported by FCT-CEECIND/00410/2017. FM has been the recipient of an FCT doctoral fellowship (PD/BD/128344/2017). CP has been the recipient of an FCT doctoral fellowship (SFRH/BD/128374/2017).Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive memory loss. Although AD neuropathological hallmarks are extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular tau tangles, the best correlate of disease progression is synapse loss. What causes synapse loss has been the focus of several researchers in the AD field. Synapses become dysfunctional before plaques and tangles form. Studies based on early-onset familial AD (eFAD) models have supported that synaptic transmission is depressed by β-amyloid (Aβ) triggered mechanisms. Since eFAD is rare, affecting only 1% of patients, research has shifted to the study of the most common late-onset AD (LOAD). Intracellular trafficking has emerged as one of the pathways of LOAD genes. Few studies have assessed the impact of trafficking LOAD genes on synapse dysfunction. Since endocytic traffic is essential for synaptic function, we reviewed Aβ-dependent and independent mechanisms of the earliest synaptic dysfunction in AD. We have focused on the role of intraneuronal and secreted Aβ oligomers, highlighting the dysfunction of endocytic trafficking as an Aβ-dependent mechanism of synapse dysfunction in AD. Here, we reviewed the LOAD trafficking genes APOE4, ABCA7, BIN1, CD2AP, PICALM, EPH1A, and SORL1, for which there is a synaptic link. We conclude that in eFAD and LOAD, the earliest synaptic dysfunctions are characterized by disruptions of the presynaptic vesicle exo- and endocytosis and of postsynaptic glutamate receptor endocytosis. While in eFAD synapse dysfunction seems to be triggered by Aβ, in LOAD, there might be a direct synaptic disruption by LOAD trafficking genes. To identify promising therapeutic targets and biomarkers of the earliest synaptic dysfunction in AD, it will be necessary to join efforts in further dissecting the mechanisms used by Aβ and by LOAD genes to disrupt synapses.publishersversionpublishe

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the cervix: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the cervix uteri is extremely rare. Between 1987 and 2010, there were only nine cases reported in the English literature, with considerably different management policies.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 45-year-old Iranian woman presented to our facility with a primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the cervix uteri. Her clinical stage IB2 tumor was treated successfully with chemotherapy. Our patient underwent radical hysterectomy. There was no trace of the tumor after four years of follow-up.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>According to current knowledge, primitive neuroectodermal tumors belong to the Ewing's sarcoma family, and the improvement of treatment outcome in our patient was due to dose-intensive neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery and consolidation chemotherapy in accordance with the protocol for bony Ewing's sarcoma.</p

Knockdown of BACE1-AS Nonprotein-Coding Transcript Modulates Beta-Amyloid-Related Hippocampal Neurogenesis

Background. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurological disorder and the main cause of dementia in the elderly population worldwide. Adult neurogenesis appears to be upregulated very early in AD pathogenesis in response to some specific aggregates of beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptides, exhausting the neuronal stem cell pools in the brain. Previously, we characterized a conserved nonprotein-coding antisense transcript for β-secretase-1 (BACE1), a critical enzyme in AD pathophysiology. We showed that the BACE1-antisense transcript (BACE1-AS) is markedly upregulated in brain samples from AD patients and promotes the stability of the (sense) BACE1 transcript. In the current paper, we examine the relationship between BACE1, BACE1-AS, adult neurogenesis markers, and amyloid plaque formation in amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice (Tg-19959) of various ages. Results. Consistent with previous publications in other APP overexpressing mouse models, we found adult neurogenesis markers to be noticeably upregulated in Tg-19959 mice very early in the development of the disease. Knockdown of either one of BACE1 or BACE1-AS transcripts by continuous infusion of locked nucleic acid- (LNA-) modified siRNAs into the third ventricle over the period of two weeks caused concordant downregulation of both transcripts in Tg-19959 mice. Downregulation of BACE1 mRNA was followed by reduction of BACE1 protein and insoluble Aβ. Modulation of BACE1 and BACE1-AS transcripts also altered oligomeric Aβ aggregation pattern, which was in turn associated with an increase in neurogenesis markers at the RNA and protein level. Conclusion. We found alterations in the RNA and protein concentrations of several adult neurogenesis markers, as well as non-protein-coding BACE1-AS transcripts, in parallel with the course of β-amyloid synthesis and aggregation in the brain of Tg15999 mice. In addition, by knocking down BACE1 or BACE1-AS (thereby reducing Aβ production and plaque deposition), we were able to modulate expression of these neurogenesis markers. Our findings suggest a distortion of adult neurogenesis that is associated with Aβ production very early in amyloid pathogenesis. We believe that these alterations, at the molecular level, could prove useful as novel therapeutic targets and/or as early biomarkers of AD