Development of an integrated heat pipe-thermal storage system for a solar receiver

The Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) Solar Dynamic Power System (SDPS) is one of the candidates for Space Station prime power application. In the low Earth orbit of the Space Station approximately 34 minutes of the 94-minute orbital period is spent in eclipse with no solar energy input to the power system. For this period the SDPS will use thermal energy storage (TES) material to provide a constant power output. An integrated heat-pipe thermal storage receiver system is being developed as part of the ORC-SDPS solar receiver. This system incorporates potassium heat pipe elements to absorb and transfer the solar energy within the receiver cavity. The heat pipes contain the TES canisters within the potassium vapor space with the toluene heater tube used as the condenser region of the heat pipe. During the insolation period of the Earth orbit, solar energy is delivered to the heat pipe in the ORC-SDPS receiver cavity. The heat pipe transforms the non-uniform solar flux incident in the heat pipe surface within the receiver cavity to an essentially uniform flux at the potassium vapor condensation interface in the heat pipe. During solar insolation, part of the thermal energy is delivered to the heater tube and the balance is stored in the TES units. During the eclipse period of the orbit, the balance stored in the TES units is transferred by the potassium vapor to the toluene heater tube

Acute Effects of Esports on the Cardiovascular System and Energy Expenditure in Amateur Esports Players

INTRODUCTION: Esports is practiced by millions of people worldwide every day. On a professional level, esports has been proven to have a high stress potential and is sometimes considered equivalent to traditional sporting activities. While traditional sports have health-promoting effects through muscle activity and increased energy expenditure, amateur esports could represent a purely sedentary activity, which would carry potentially harmful effects when practiced regularly. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the acute effects of esports on the cardiovascular system and energy expenditure in amateur esports players to show whether esports can be considered as physical strain or mental stress or whether amateur esports has to be seen as purely sedentary behavior. METHODS: Thirty male subjects participated in a 30-min gaming session, playing the soccer simulation game FIFA 20 or the tactical, first-person multiplayer shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Respiratory and cardiovascular parameters, as well as energy expenditure, blood glucose, lactate, and cortisol, were determined pre-, during, and post-gaming. RESULTS: There were no significant changes in oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide output, energy expenditure, stroke volume, or lactate levels. Heart rate, blood glucose and cortisol decreased through the intervention until reaching their minimum levels 10 min post-gaming (Cortisol(pre): 3.1 ± 2.9 ng/ml, Cortisol(post): 2.2 ± 2.3 ng/ml, p < 0.01; HR(min0.5): 82 ± 11 bpm, HR(post): 74 ± 13 bpm, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: A 30-min esports intervention does not positively affect energy expenditure or metabolism in amateur esports players. Therefore, it cannot provide the same health-promoting effects as traditional sports participation, but could in the long-term rather cause the same potentially health-damaging effects as purely sedentary behavior. However, it does not trigger a negative stress response in the players. Deliberate physical activity and exercise routines adapted to these demands should therefore be part of the daily life of amateur esports players

ТЕОСОФИЯ: ГЕНЕЗИС И АКТУАЛИЗАЦИЯ УЧЕНИЯ

У статті розглядається сутність теософії в її історико-філософському генезисі, представленому у вченні неоплатоников, гностиків, середньовічних і ренесансних містиків. Визначається сутність теософії як вчення синкретичної єдності ірраціонально-раціонального збагнення глибини реальності. Специфічність теософії розкривається порівняно з філософією, через визначення джерела знання, предмету і методу пізнання. Представлена актуалізація теософії через сучасну діяльність Міжнародного теософського товариства і спадщину О.П.Блаватськой. Вказується натрансформаційні змінимісії теософії, яка з езотеричного вчення переходить в статус морально-етичного корелята розвитку соціальних інститутів іжиттєвого простору людини.В статье рассматривается сущность теософии в её историко-философском генезисе, представленном в учении неоплатоников, гностиков, средневековых и ренессансных мистиков. Определяется сущность теософии как учения синкретического единства иррационально-рационального постижения глубины реальности. Специфичность теософии раскрывается в сравнении с философией, через определение источника знания, предмета и метода познания. Представлена актуализация теософии через современную деятельность Международного теософского общества и наследие Е.П.Блаватской. Указывается на трансформационные изменения миссии теософии, которая из эзотерического учения переходит в статус морально-нравственного коррелята развития социальных институтов и жизненного пространства человека.In the articleessence of theosophy is examined inits historicaland philosophicalgenesis, presented in thestudies of neoplatonizmus, gnostics,medieval andrenaissancemystics. Essence oftheosophy as studies of syncretismunity of the irrational-rational understanding of depth of reality is determined. Specificity of theosophy opens up by comparison to philosophy, through determination of source of knowledge, object andmethod of cognition.Actualization of theosophy is presented throughmodern activity ofInternational theosophicalsociety andlegacy ofE.P.Blavatskoy. Specified on transformation changes themission of theosophywhich fromesoteric studies passes to status ofmoral-moral correlate of development of social institutes and vital space ofman

Reverse transcription recombinase polymerase amplification assay for the detection of middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus

The emergence of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the eastern Mediterranean and imported cases to Europe has alerted public health authorities. Currently, detection of MERS-CoV in patient samples is done by real-time RT-PCR. Samples collected from suspected cases are sent to highly-equipped centralized laboratories for screening. A rapid point-of-care test is needed to allow more widespread mobile detection of the virus directly from patient material. In this study, we describe the development of a reverse transcription isothermal Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RT-RPA) assay for the identification of MERS-CoV. A partial nucleocapsid gene RNA molecular standard of MERS-coronavirus was used to determine the assay sensitivity. The isothermal (42&deg;C) MERS-CoV RT-RPA was as sensitive as real-time RT-PCR (10 RNA molecules), rapid (3-7 minutes) and mobile (using tubescanner weighing 1kg). The MERS-CoV RT-RPA showed cross-detection neither of any of the RNAs of several coronaviruses and respiratory viruses affecting humans nor of the human genome. The developed isothermal real-time RT-RPA is ideal for rapid mobile molecular MERS-CoV monitoring in acute patients and may also facilitate the search for the animal reservoir of MERS-CoV

Equivalent bosonic theory for the massive Thirring model with non-local interaction

We study, through path-integral methods, an extension of the massive Thirring model in which the interaction between currents is non-local. By examining the mass-expansion of the partition function we show that this non-local massive Thirring model is equivalent to a certain non-local extension of the sine-Gordon theory. Thus, we establish a non-local generalization of the famous Coleman's equivalence. We also discuss some possible applications of this result in the context of one-dimensional strongly correlated systems and finite-size Quantum Field Theories.Comment: 15 pages, latex, no figure