423 research outputs found
PROPERTIES ANALYSIS OF WASTE PLASTIC OIL AND SIZE MEASUREMENT OF NANO PARTICLE (ALUMINIUM OXIDE)
Environment concerns and depletion of petroleum fuels have created a need for the search fuels for internal combustion engines. Transformation of waste to energy is one of the recent trends in minimizing not only the waste disposal but also could be used as another fuel for internal combustion engines. Plastics are vitally necessary materials in the modern world and application in the industrial field is continually increasing. In this context, waste plastic are currently receiving renewed interest. As an alternative, non-biodegradable, and renewable fuel, waste plastic oil its receiving increasing attention. In this work we choose plastic oil as alternate fuel its properties which relates almost same to diesel. So plastic oil is used as an alternate fuel for direct injection diesel engine
Transition phenomena in unstably stratified turbulent flows
We study experimentally and theoretically transition phenomena caused by the
external forcing from Rayleigh-Benard convection with the large-scale
circulation (LSC) to the limiting regime of unstably stratified turbulent flow
without LSC whereby the temperature field behaves like a passive scalar. In the
experiments we use the Rayleigh-B\'enard apparatus with an additional source of
turbulence produced by two oscillating grids located nearby the side walls of
the chamber. When the frequency of the grid oscillations is larger than 2 Hz,
the large-scale circulation (LSC) in turbulent convection is destroyed, and the
destruction of the LSC is accompanied by a strong change of the mean
temperature distribution. However, in all regimes of the unstably stratified
turbulent flow the ratio varies slightly (even in the range
of parameters whereby the behaviour of the temperature field is different from
that of the passive scalar). Here are the integral scales of
turbulence along x, y, z directions, T and \theta are the mean and fluctuating
parts of the fluid temperature. At all frequencies of the grid oscillations we
have detected the long-term nonlinear oscillations of the mean temperature. The
theoretical predictions based on the budget equations for turbulent kinetic
energy, turbulent temperature fluctuations and turbulent heat flux, are in
agreement with the experimental results.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures, REVTEX4-1, revised versio
Tracking momentary experience in the evaluation of arts-on-prescription services: Using mood changes during art workshops to predict global wellbeing change
Aims: To measure the immediate impact of participating in arts-on-prescription workshops on multiple dimensions of mood and to evaluate whether improvement in mood is a mechanism for change, predicting improvements in global wellbeing before and after participation in arts-on-prescription programmes. Methods: The evaluation drew upon the experience sampling method, asking participants to complete a six-item mood questionnaire at the beginning and end of each workshop in a 12-week-long arts-on-prescription programme. Participants also completed a measure of global wellbeing at the beginning and end of the programme. Results: Multilevel modelling was used to test hypotheses since the data were hierarchical (with 1491 mood reports nested within 66 participants). There was a significant improvement in global wellbeing across participation in the arts-on-prescription programme. After each art workshop there was a significant increase on all dimensions of mood: hedonic tone (contentment); tense arousal (calmness); and energetic arousal (alertness). There was also a significant improvement in these dimensions of mood, over time, upon arrival at the art workshops each week. Furthermore, reduction in tense arousal after art workshops significantly predicted changes in global wellbeing. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a reduction in tense arousal (feeling less nervous, anxious and stressed) is a crucial component of arts-on-prescription services and make a direct link between experiences during art workshops and changes in global wellbeing for the first time. This strengthens the evidence base for arts-on-prescription and suggests that tracking experience across interventions is a useful evaluation tool, with much potential
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Turbulent flow at 190 m height above London during 2006-2008: A climatology and the applicability of similarity theory
Flow and turbulence above urban terrain is more complex than above rural terrain, due to the different momentum and heat transfer characteristics that are affected by the presence of buildings (e.g. pressure variations around buildings). The applicability of similarity theory (as developed over rural terrain) is tested using observations of flow from a sonic anemometer located at 190.3 m height in London, U.K. using about 6500 h of data. Turbulence statistics—dimensionless wind speed and temperature, standard deviations and correlation coefficients for momentum and heat transfer—were analysed in three ways. First, turbulence statistics were plotted as a function only of a local stability parameter z/Λ (where Λ is the local Obukhov length and z is the height above ground); the σ_i/u_* values (i = u, v, w) for neutral conditions are 2.3, 1.85 and 1.35 respectively, similar to canonical values. Second, analysis of urban mixed-layer formulations during daytime convective conditions over London was undertaken, showing that atmospheric turbulence at high altitude over large cities might not behave dissimilarly from that over rural terrain. Third, correlation coefficients for heat and momentum were analyzed with respect to local stability. The results give confidence in using the framework of local similarity for turbulence measured over London, and perhaps other cities. However, the following caveats for our data are worth noting: (i) the terrain is reasonably flat, (ii) building heights vary little over a large area, and (iii) the sensor height is above the mean roughness sublayer depth
Airborne measurements of the vertical flux of ozone in the boundary layer
A fast-response chemiluminescent ozone sensor was mounted in an aircraft instrumented for air motion and temperature measurements. Measurements of the vertical flux of ozone by the eddy correlation technique were obtained after correcting for time delay and pressure sensitivity in the ozone sensor output. The observations were taken over eastern Colorado for two days in April, one a morning and the other an afternoon flight. Since the correlation coefficient of ozone and vertical velocity is small compared to, for example, temperature and vertical velocity in the lower part of the convective boundary layer, an averaging length of the order of 100 km was required to obtain a reasonably accurate estimate of the ozone flux. The measured variance of ozone appeared to be too large, probably mainly due to random noise in the sensor output, although the possibility of the production of ozone fluctuations by chemical reactions cannot be dismissed entirely. Terms in the budget equation for ozone were estimated from the aircraft measurements and the divergence of the ozone flux was found to be large compared to the flux at the surface divided by the boundary-layer height.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42507/1/10546_2004_Article_BF00117223.pd
Staging of biliary atresia at diagnosis by molecular profiling of the liver
Abstract
Background
Young age at portoenterostomy has been linked to improved outcome in biliary atresia, but pre-existing biological factors may influence the rate of disease progression. In this study, we aimed to determine whether molecular profiling of the liver identifies stages of disease at diagnosis.
Methods
We examined liver biopsies from 47 infants with biliary atresia enrolled in a prospective observational study. Biopsies were scored for inflammation and fibrosis, used for gene expression profiles, and tested for association with indicators of disease severity, response to surgery, and survival at 2 years.
Results
Fourteen of 47 livers displayed predominant histological features of inflammation (N = 9) or fibrosis (N = 5), with the remainder showing similar levels of both simultaneously. By differential profiling of gene expression, the 14 livers had a unique molecular signature containing 150 gene probes. Applying prediction analysis models, the probes classified 29 of the remaining 33 livers into inflammation or fibrosis. Molecular classification into the two groups was validated by the findings of increased hepatic population of lymphocyte subsets or tissue accumulation of matrix substrates. The groups had no association with traditional markers of liver injury or function, response to surgery, or complications of cirrhosis. However, infants with an inflammation signature were younger, while those with a fibrosis signature had decreased transplant-free survival.
Conclusions
Molecular profiling at diagnosis of biliary atresia uncovers a signature of inflammation or fibrosis in most livers. This signature may relate to staging of disease at diagnosis and has implications to clinical outcomes.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112492/1/13073_2010_Article_154.pd
ToppCluster: a multiple gene list feature analyzer for comparative enrichment clustering and network-based dissection of biological systems
ToppCluster is a web server application that leverages a powerful enrichment analysis and underlying data environment for comparative analyses of multiple gene lists. It generates heatmaps or connectivity networks that reveal functional features shared or specific to multiple gene lists. ToppCluster uses hypergeometric tests to obtain list-specific feature enrichment P-values for currently 17 categories of annotations of human-ortholog genes, and provides user-selectable cutoffs and multiple testing correction methods to control false discovery. Each nameable gene list represents a column input to a resulting matrix whose rows are overrepresented features, and individual cells per-list P-values and corresponding genes per feature. ToppCluster provides users with choices of tabular outputs, hierarchical clustering and heatmap generation, or the ability to interactively select features from the functional enrichment matrix to be transformed into XGMML or GEXF network format documents for use in Cytoscape or Gephi applications, respectively. Here, as example, we demonstrate the ability of ToppCluster to enable identification of list-specific phenotypic and regulatory element features (both cis-elements and 3′UTR microRNA binding sites) among tissue-specific gene lists. ToppCluster’s functionalities enable the identification of specialized biological functions and regulatory networks and systems biology-based dissection of biological states. ToppCluster can be accessed freely at http://toppcluster.cchmc.org
Effect of large-scale coherent structures on turbulent convection
We study an effect of large-scale coherent structures on global properties of
turbulent convection in laboratory experiments in air flow in a rectangular
chamber with aspect ratios and (with the Rayleigh
numbers varying in the range from to ). The large-scale
coherent structures comprise the one-cell and two-cell flow patterns. We found
that a main contribution to the turbulence kinetic energy production in
turbulent convection with large-scale coherent structures is due to the
non-uniform large-scale motions. Turbulence in large Rayleigh number convection
with coherent structures is produced by shear, rather than by buoyancy. We
determined the scalings of global parameters (e.g., the production and
dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy, the turbulent velocity and integral
turbulent scale, the large-scale shear, etc.) of turbulent convection versus
the temperature difference between the bottom and the top walls of the chamber.
These scalings are in an agreement with our theoretical predictions. We
demonstrated that the degree of inhomogeneity of the turbulent convection with
large-scale coherent structures is small.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figures, REVTEX
Non-syndromic Sensorineural Prelingual Deafness: The Importance of Genetic Counseling in Demystifying Parents’ Beliefs About the Cause of Their Children’s Deafness
Recent advances in molecular genetics have allowed the determination of the genetic cause of some childhood non-syndromic deafness. In Portugal only a small proportion of families are referred to a clinical genetics service in order to clarify the etiology of the deafness and to provide genetic counseling. Consequently, there are no published studies of the prior beliefs of parents about the causes of hereditary deafness of their children and their genetic knowledge after receipt of genetic counseling. In order to evaluate the impact of genetic counseling, 44 parents of 24 children with the diagnosis of non-syndromic sensorineural prelingual deafness due to mutations in the GJB2 (connexin 26), completed surveys before and after genetic counseling. Before counseling 13.6 % of the parents knew the cause of deafness; at a post-counseling setting this percentage was significantly higher, with 84.1 % of the parents accurately identifying the etiology. No significant differences were found between the answers of mothers and fathers either before or after genetic counseling. Parents' level of education was a significant factor in pre-test knowledge. After genetic counseling 95.5 % of the parents stated that the consultation had met their expectations, 70.5 % remembered correctly the inheritance pattern, and 93.2 % correctly recalled the chance of risk of deafness. These results underline the importance of genetic counseling in demystifying parents' beliefs about the etiology of their children's deafness
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