Hot gas ingestion characteristics and flow visualization of a vectored thrust STOVL concept

A 9.2 percent scale short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) hot gas ingestion model was designed and built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation (MCAIR) and tested in the NASA Lewis Research Center 9- by 15-Foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel (LSWT). Hot gas ingestion, the entrainment of heated engine exhaust into the inlet flow field, is a key development issue for advanced short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft. The Phase 1 test program, conducted by NASA Lewis and McDonnell Douglas Corporation, evaluated the hot ingestion phenomena and control techniques and Phase 2 test program which was conducted by NASA Lewis are both reported. The Phase 2 program was conducted at exhaust nozzles temperatures up to 1460 R and utilized a sheet laser system for flow visualization of the model flow field in and out of ground effects. Hot gas ingestion levels were measured for the several forward nozzle splay configurations and with flow control/lift improvement devices which reduced the hot gas ingestion. The model support system had four degrees of freedom, heated high pressure air for nozzle flow, and a suction system exhaust for inlet flow. The headwind (freestream) velocity for Phase 1 was varied from 8 to 90 kn, with primary data taken in the 8 to 23 kn headwind velocity range. Phase 2 headwind velocity varied from 10 to 23 kn. Results of both Phase 1 and 2 are presented. A description of the model, facility, a new model support system, and a sheet laser illumination system are also provided. Results are presented over a range of main landing gear height (model height) above the ground plane at a 10 kn headwind velocity. The results contain the compressor face pressure and temperature distortions, total pressure recovery, compressor face temperature rise, and the environmental effects of the hot gas. The environmental effects include the ground plane temperature and pressure distributions, model airframe heating, and the location of the ground flow separation. Results from the sheet laser flow visualization test are also shown

Parameter Estimation for a Model With Both Imperfect Test and Repair

We describe estimation of the parameters of a manufacturing test and repair model using data available from that test. The model allows imperfect testing and imperfect repair. The principal problem that we address is of parameter identification, given insufficient data, that we address by making conservative assumptions on the property being measured and the associated parameter values. Several cases of commonly occurring test types, in the manufacture of electronic products, are considered

Using Heuristic Search for Solving Single Machine Batch Processing Problems

This paper deals with scheduling for single machine batch processing, specifically the transporting problem with one vehicle. Capacity restrictions of the machine are considered and the main objective is to find an assignment of jobs to achieve the minimal processing time of all batches, given these capacities. A polynomial algorithm is proposed for solving the case in which the jobs are non-preemptive, non-identical, and are known before the realization of the schedule. The proposed algorithm is implemented and shown to yield better results than alternatives from the literature

The effect of sex, menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptive use on intestinal permeability and ex-vivo monocyte TNFα release following treatment with lipopolysaccharide and hyperthermia

Investigate the impact of sex, menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptive use on intestinal permeability and ex-vivo tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) release following treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and hyperthermia. Twenty-seven participants (9 men, 9 eumenorrheic women (MC) and 9 women taking an oral contraceptive pill (OC)) completed three trials. Men were tested on 3 occasions over 6 weeks; MC during early-follicular, ovulation, and mid-luteal phases; OC during the pill and pill-free phase. Intestinal permeability was assessed following a 4-hour dual sugar absorption test (lactulose: rhamnose). Venous blood was collected each trial and stimulated with 100 μg·mL LPS before incubation at 37 °C and 40 °C and analysed for TNFα via ELISA. L:R ratio was higher in OC than MC (+0.003, p = 0.061) and men (+0.005, p = 0.007). Men had higher TNFα responses than both MC (+53 %, p = 0.004) and OC (+61 %, p = 0.003). TNFα release was greater at 40 °C than 37 °C (+23 %, p < 0.001). Men present with lower resting intestinal barrier permeability relative to women regardless of OC use and displayed greater monocyte TNFα release following whole blood treatment with LPS and hyperthermia. Oral contraceptive users had highest intestinal permeability however, neither permeability or TNFα release were impacted by the pill cycle. Although no statistical effect was seen in the menstrual cycle, intestinal permeability and TNFα release were more variable across the phases

Quantitative clinical assessment of motor function during and following LSVT-BIG® therapy

Background LSVT-BIG® is an intensively delivered, amplitude-oriented exercise therapy reported to improve mobility in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, questions remain surrounding the efficacy of LSVT-BIG® when compared with similar exercise therapies. Instrumented clinical tests using body-worn sensors can provide a means to objectively monitor patient progression with therapy by quantifying features of motor function, yet research exploring the feasibility of this approach has been limited to date. The aim of this study was to use accelerometer-instrumented clinical tests to quantify features of gait, balance and fine motor control in individuals with PD, in order to examine motor function during and following LSVT-BIG® therapy. Methods Twelve individuals with PD undergoing LSVT-BIG® therapy, eight non-exercising PD controls and 14 healthy controls were recruited to participate in the study. Functional mobility was examined using features derived from accelerometry recorded during five instrumented clinical tests: 10 m walk, Timed-Up-and-Go, Sit-to-Stand, quiet stance, and finger tapping. PD subjects undergoing therapy were assessed before, each week during, and up to 13 weeks following LSVT-BIG®. Results Accelerometry data captured significant improvements in 10 m walk and Timed-Up-and-Go times with LSVT-BIG® (p <  0.001), accompanied by increased stride length. Temporal features of the gait cycle were significantly lower following therapy, though no change was observed with measures of asymmetry or stride variance. The total number of Sit-to-Stand transitions significantly increased with LSVT-BIG® (p <  0.001), corresponding to a significant reduction of time spent in each phase of the Sit-to-Stand cycle. No change in measures related to postural or fine motor control was observed with LSVT-BIG®. PD subjects undergoing LSVT-BIG® showed significant improvements in 10 m walk (p <  0.001) and Timed-Up-and-Go times (p = 0.004) over a four-week period when compared to non-exercising PD controls, who showed no week-to-week improvement in any task examined. Conclusions This study demonstrates the potential for wearable sensors to objectively quantify changes in motor function in response to therapeutic exercise interventions in PD. The observed improvements in accelerometer-derived features provide support for instrumenting gait and sit-to-stand tasks, and demonstrate a rescaling of the speed-amplitude relationship during gait in PD following LSVT-BIG®.European Research CouncilScience Foundation IrelandInsight Research CentreThe Royal Hospital Donnybrook2020-10-06 JG: PDF replaced with correct versio

Sarcoidosis following alemtuzumab treatment for multiple sclerosis

Despite proven efficacy of alemtuzumab in multiple sclerosis (MS), approximately 50% of individuals will develop a new autoimmune disease following treatment. To date, these have largely been antibody mediated and organ specific (primarily affecting the thyroid gland). In a retrospective case series of 187 patients from two UK specialist centres (Cardiff and Cambridge) followed up for a median of 10 years, we report three (1.6%) cases of sarcoidosis following alemtuzumab treatment of MS. This report increases the spectrum of auto-inflammatory disease following alemtuzumab and should be considered by clinicians when using this therapeutic agent for MS

Dietary supplementation with New Zealand blackcurrant extract enhances fat oxidation during submaximal exercise in the heat

Objectives. This study investigated the effect of 7 days’ supplementation with New Zealand blackcurrant extract on thermoregulation and substrate metabolism during running in the heat. Design. Randomized, double-blind, cross-over study. Methods. Twelve men and six women (mean ± SD: Age 27 ± 6 years, height 1.76 ± 0.10 m, mass 74 ± 12 kg, V˙ O2max 53.4 ± 7.0 mL kg−1 min−1) completed one assessment of maximal aerobic capacity and one familiarisation trial (18 ◦C, 40% relative humidity, RH), before ingesting 2 × 300 mg day−1 capsules of CurraNZTM (each containing 105 mg anthocyanin) or a visually matched placebo (2 × 300 mg microcrystalline cellulose M102) for 7days (washout 14 days). On day 7 of each supplementation period, participants completed 60 min of fasted running at 65% V˙ O2max in hot ambient conditions (34 ◦C and 40% relative humidity). Results: Carbohydrate oxidation was decreased in the NZBC trial [by 0.24 g min−1 (95% CI: 0.21–0.27 g min-1)] compared to placebo (p = 0.014, d = 0.46), and fat oxidation was increased in the NZBC trial [by 0.12 g min−1 (95% CI: 0.10 to 0.15 g min−1)], compared to placebo (p = 0.008, d = 0.57). NZBC did not influence heart rate (p = 0.963), rectal temperature (p = 0.380), skin temperature (p = 0.955), body temperature (p = 0.214) or physiological strain index (p = 0.705) during exercise. Conclusions. Seven-days intake of 600 mg NZBC extract increased fat oxidation without influencing cardiorespiratory or thermoregulatory variables during prolonged moderate intensity running in hot conditions

Human Exposure following Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection of Multiple Animal Species in a Metropolitan Zoo

From 1997 to 2000, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was diagnosed in two Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), three Rocky Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), and one black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) in the Los Angeles Zoo. DNA fingerprint patterns suggested recent transmission. An investigation found no active cases of tuberculosis in humans; however, tuberculin skin-test conversions in humans were associated with training elephants and attending an elephant necropsy

Time-integrated luminosity recorded by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II e+e- collider

This article is the Preprint version of the final published artcile which can be accessed at the link below.We describe a measurement of the time-integrated luminosity of the data collected by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy e+e- collider at the ϒ(4S), ϒ(3S), and ϒ(2S) resonances and in a continuum region below each resonance. We measure the time-integrated luminosity by counting e+e-→e+e- and (for the ϒ(4S) only) e+e-→μ+μ- candidate events, allowing additional photons in the final state. We use data-corrected simulation to determine the cross-sections and reconstruction efficiencies for these processes, as well as the major backgrounds. Due to the large cross-sections of e+e-→e+e- and e+e-→μ+μ-, the statistical uncertainties of the measurement are substantially smaller than the systematic uncertainties. The dominant systematic uncertainties are due to observed differences between data and simulation, as well as uncertainties on the cross-sections. For data collected on the ϒ(3S) and ϒ(2S) resonances, an additional uncertainty arises due to ϒ→e+e-X background. For data collected off the ϒ resonances, we estimate an additional uncertainty due to time dependent efficiency variations, which can affect the short off-resonance runs. The relative uncertainties on the luminosities of the on-resonance (off-resonance) samples are 0.43% (0.43%) for the ϒ(4S), 0.58% (0.72%) for the ϒ(3S), and 0.68% (0.88%) for the ϒ(2S).This work is supported by the US Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (Canada), the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique and Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physiquedes Particules (France), the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Germany), the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (Italy), the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (The Netherlands), the Research Council of Norway, the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain), and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom). Individuals have received support from the Marie-Curie IEF program (European Union) and the A.P. Sloan Foundation (USA)