In-flight measurement of ice growth on an airfoil using an array of ultrasonic transducers

Results of preliminary tests to measure ice growth on an airfoil during flight icing conditions are presented. Ultrasonic pulse echo measurements of ice thickness are obtained from an array of eight ultrasonic transducers mounted flush with the leading edge of the airfoil. These thickness measurements are used to document the evolution of the ice shape during the encounter in the form of successive ice profiles. Results from 3 research flights are presented and discussed. The accuracy of the ultrasonic measurements is found to be within 0.5 mm of mechanical and stereo photograph measurements of the ice accretion

Lifestyle and Other Factors Explain One-Half of the Variability in the Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Response to Cholecalciferol Supplementation in Healthy Adults

Background: Many factors have been associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations in observational studies, with variable consistency. However, less information is available on factors affecting the magnitude of changes in serum 25(OH)D resulting from vitamin D supplementation

The MATCH Corpus: A Corpus of Older and Younger Users' Interactions With Spoken Dialogue Systems.

We present the MATCH corpus, a unique data set of 447 dialogues in which 26 older and 24 younger adults interact with nine different spoken dialogue systems. The systems varied in the number of options presented and the confirmation strategy used. The corpus also contains information about the users’ cognitive abilities and detailed usability assessments of each dialogue system. The corpus, which was collected using a Wizard-of-Oz methodology, has been fully transcribed and annotated with dialogue acts and ‘‘Information State Update’’ (ISU) representations of dialogue context. Dialogue act and ISU annotations were performed semi-automatically. In addition to describing the corpus collection and annotation, we present a quantitative analysis of the interaction behaviour of older and younger users and discuss further applications of the corpus. We expect that the corpus will provide a key resource for modelling older people’s interaction with spoken dialogue systems

A Neutrophil Phenotype Model for Extracorporeal Treatment of Sepsis

Neutrophils play a central role in eliminating bacterial pathogens, but may also contribute to end-organ damage in sepsis. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), a key modulator of neutrophil function, signals through neutrophil specific surface receptors CXCR-1 and CXCR-2. In this study a mechanistic computational model was used to evaluate and deploy an extracorporeal sepsis treatment which modulates CXCR-1/2 levels. First, a simplified mechanistic computational model of IL-8 mediated activation of CXCR-1/2 receptors was developed, containing 16 ODEs and 43 parameters. Receptor level dynamics and systemic parameters were coupled with multiple neutrophil phenotypes to generate dynamic populations of activated neutrophils which reduce pathogen load, and/or primed neutrophils which cause adverse tissue damage when misdirected. The mathematical model was calibrated using experimental data from baboons administered a two-hour infusion of E coli and followed for a maximum of 28 days. Ensembles of parameters were generated using a Bayesian parallel tempering approach to produce model fits that could recreate experimental outcomes. Stepwise logistic regression identified seven model parameters as key determinants of mortality. Sensitivity analysis showed that parameters controlling the level of killer cell neutrophils affected the overall systemic damage of individuals. To evaluate rescue strategies and provide probabilistic predictions of their impact on mortality, time of onset, duration, and capture efficacy of an extracorporeal device that modulated neutrophil phenotype were explored. Our findings suggest that interventions aiming to modulate phenotypic composition are time sensitive. When introduced between 3–6 hours of infection for a 72 hour duration, the survivor population increased from 31% to 40–80%. Treatment efficacy quickly diminishes if not introduced within 15 hours of infection. Significant harm is possible with treatment durations ranging from 5–24 hours, which may reduce survival to 13%. In severe sepsis, an extracorporeal treatment which modulates CXCR-1/2 levels has therapeutic potential, but also potential for harm. Further development of the computational model will help guide optimal device development and determine which patient populations should be targeted by treatment

First example of an unsymmetrical difunctional monomer polymerizable by two living/controlled methods

In this paper the synthesis and (co)polymerizations of 4-(acryloyloxy)-epsilon-caprolactone are reported. This new monomer can be polymerized in a living/controlled way by two different polymerization mechanisms: atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and ring-opening polymerization (ROP). ATRP, which was carried out at 90 degrees C using NiBr2(PPh3)(2), leads to new polyacrylates containing pendant caprolactone functionalities with controlled molecular weights and narrow polydispersities (M-w/M(p)similar to 1.1). Alternatively, ROP of this functional epsilon-caprolactone bearing a pendant acrylate functionality leads to new poly(4-(acryloyloxy) caprolactone) as well as random copolymers when epsilon-caprolactone and L,L-lactide are added as comonomers. The (co)polymerizations were carried out using either (Al((OPr)-Pr-i)(3) in toluene at 25 degrees C or Sn(Oct)(2) as a catalyst at 110 degrees C producing (co)polymers with controlled molecular weights and narrow polydispersities (M-w/M(n)similar to 1.2). As a potential application, the introduction of acrylate pendant groups into the polyesters facilitated the preparation of cross-linked biodegradable materials either thermally or by irradiation with ultraviolet light radical curing

The fibrinogen cleavage product Aα-Val360, a specific marker of neutrophil elastase activity in vivo

Background Alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) deficiency is the only recognised genetic risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Since A1AT is the major inhibitor of neutrophil elastase (NE), this enzyme has become widely implicated in the pathogenesis of COPD in general; however, there is currently no specific biomarker for its pre-inhibition activity. Such a biomarker should be a measure of elastase-specific COPD disease activity with the potential to assess early targeted therapeutic intervention, in contrast to traditional and non-specific disease severity markers such as forced expiratory volume in 1 s. Methods In pilot studies, plasma A alpha-Val(360) and markers of neutrophil activation were measured in 95 subjects with a range of A1AT concentrations. A alpha-Val(360) and sputum elastase activity were also measured in a further seven PiZ A1AT-deficient subjects over the course of an acute exacerbation. Finally, A alpha-Val(360) was measured in plasma from subjects randomised to receive A1AT replacement or placebo in the EXACTLE trial. Results The plasma concentrations of A alpha-Val(360) and A1AT related exponentially, consistent with previous theoretical and in vitro experimental data. L-233 (an intracellular NE inhibitor) blocked generation of A alpha-Val(360) and subsequent A1AT/NE complex formation. A alpha-Val(360) was related to the spirometric severity of lung disease in A1AT deficiency, to sputum elastase activity in acute exacerbations and was decreased in subjects receiving A1AT replacement therapy (while remaining constant in those receiving placebo). Conclusions A alpha-Val(360) represents the first specific footprint of pre-inhibition NE activity and is a potential biomarker of disease activity and progression in subjects with elastase-dependent COPD