Study and applications of retrodirective and self-adaptive electromagnetic wave controls to a Mars probe Quarterly report, 1 Oct. - 31 Dec. 1965

Design feasibility and applications of adaptive antenna circuits for deep space communication - antenna concepts, environmental effects, and phase lock loops and adaptive circuitr

Study and applications of retrodirective and self adaptive electromagnetic-wave phase controls to a Mars probe

Computer analyses of retrodirective, and self adaptive antenna phase control techniques for Mars prob

Design and calibration of a test facility for MLI thermal performance measurements below 80K

The design geometry of the SSC dipole cryostat includes active thermal radiation shields operating at 80K and 20K respectively. Extensive measurements conducted in a Heat Leak Test Facility (HLTF) have been used to evaluate the thermal performance of candidate multilayer insulation (MLI) systems for the 80K thermal shield, with the present system design based upon those measurement results. With the 80K MLI geometry established, efforts have focused on measuring the performance of MLI systems near 20K. A redesign of the HLTF has produced a measurement facility capable of conducting measurements with the warm boundary fixed at 80K and the cold boundary variable from 10K to 50K. Removing the 80K shield permits measurements with a warm boundary at 300K. The 80K boundary consists of a copper shield thermally anchored to a liquid nitrogen reservoir. The cold boundary consists of a copper anchor plate whose temperature is varied through boil-off gas from a 500 liter helium supply dewar. A transfer line heat exchanger supplies the boil-off gas to the anchor plate at a constant and controlled rate. The gas, which serves as cooling gas, is routed through a copper cooling tube soldered into the anchor plate. Varying the cooling gas flow rate varies the amount of refrigeration supplied to the anchor plate, thereby determining the plate temperature. A resistance heater installed on the anchor plate is regulated by a cryogenic temperature controller to provide final temperature control. Heat leak values are measured using a heatmeter which senses heat flow as a temperature gradient across a fixed thermal impedance. Since the thermal conductivity of the thermal impedance changes with temperature, the heatmeter is calibrated at key cold boundary temperatures. Thus, the system is capable of obtaining measurement data under a variety of system conditions. 7 refs

Design and calibration of a test facility for MLI thermal performance measurements below 80K. [Multilayer insulation (MLI)]

The design geometry of the SSC dipole cryostat includes active thermal radiation shields operating at 80K and 20K respectively. Extensive measurements conducted in a Heat Leak Test Facility (HLTF) have been used to evaluate the thermal performance of candidate multilayer insulation (MLI) systems for the 80K thermal shield, with the present system design based upon those measurement results. With the 80K MLI geometry established, efforts have focused on measuring the performance of MLI systems near 20K. A redesign of the HLTF has produced a measurement facility capable of conducting measurements with the warm boundary fixed at 80K and the cold boundary variable from 10K to 50K. Removing the 80K shield permits measurements with a warm boundary at 300K. The 80K boundary consists of a copper shield thermally anchored to a liquid nitrogen reservoir. The cold boundary consists of a copper anchor plate whose temperature is varied through boil-off gas from a 500 liter helium supply dewar. A transfer line heat exchanger supplies the boil-off gas to the anchor plate at a constant and controlled rate. The gas, which serves as cooling gas, is routed through a copper cooling tube soldered into the anchor plate. Varying the cooling gas flow rate varies the amount of refrigeration supplied to the anchor plate, thereby determining the plate temperature. A resistance heater installed on the anchor plate is regulated by a cryogenic temperature controller to provide final temperature control. Heat leak values are measured using a heatmeter which senses heat flow as a temperature gradient across a fixed thermal impedance. Since the thermal conductivity of the thermal impedance changes with temperature, the heatmeter is calibrated at key cold boundary temperatures. Thus, the system is capable of obtaining measurement data under a variety of system conditions. 7 refs

An In Vitro Protocol for Evaluation and Comparison of Membrane Oxygenators

With the trend in open heart surgery toward normothermic bypass and warm blood cardioplegia, greater demand is being placed on the perfusionist to select an oxygenator that will perform safely and efficiently under a variety of conditions. While manufacturers report performance parameters for their products, the data is often not comparable due to widely differing conditions. Recent in vitro evaluation techniques employed to characterize membrane oxygenators do not simulate the actual oxygenator conditions observed during cardiopulmonary bypass. Biocompatibility and drug delivery are reported but comparisons of different oxygenator performance parameters are not completely addressed. We have designed a test circuit and an evaluation protocol to simultaneously characterize the performance of multiple oxygenators under identical conditions. The test circuit is designed to simulate clinical conditions and to evaluate gas exchange, blood path pressures, gas path pressures, and hemolysis. Previously reported studies have relied on a comparison of a single membrane oxygenator and a single bubble oxygenator. Our protocol will compare multiple membrane oxygenators, in vitro, under similar clinically relevant conditions. Such testing would be done prior to animal or clinical trials. Furthermore in vitro tests should be more reproducible and more discriminating than are ex vivo tests

A Perfluorocarbon Emulsion Prime Additive Improves the Electroencephalogram and Cerebral Blood Flow at the Initiation of Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Depression in electroencephalogram (EEG) has been documented clinically and is reproducible in swine at the initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) utilizing a crystalloid prime. The physiological cause of this transient alteration in electrical brain activity appears to be associated with the transient drop in arterial pressure. The etiology is unknown but may be attributable to the bolus of the crystalloid prime or micro emboli, either air or fibrin-platelet. Thirteen swine (17-26 kg) were anesthetized and received 4 mg/kg dexamethasone, and following a tracheotomy were ventilated with halothane in 100% O2. Surgical preparation included: sternotomy and preparation for right atrial- aortic CPB. The CPB circuit consisted of a hollow fiber membrane oxygenator, a hard-shell venous reservoir, a roller pump, and PVC tubing. The circuit was randomly primed with either 1200 ml Plasmalyte-A or 10 ml/kg perfluorocarbon emulsion (PFE) and Plasmalyte-A to total 1200 ml. The animals were monitored continuously for systemic hemodynamics and electrocardiogram, and cerebral monitoring included blood flow and bitemporal EEG. Arterial blood gases were measured and PaCO2 was kept between 30-45 mmHg both before and during CPB. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured pre-CPB and at 10 minutes after initiation of CPB. Bitemporal computerized EEG was analyzed every 60 seconds. Total power of each hemisphere, power in frequency bands, and spectral edge were recorded. All animals demonstrated a relative decrease in EEG total power at the onset of CPB. Animals that received PFE demonstrated a more stable arterial blood pressure, an increased CBF, and a lesser decrease and an earlier recovery of the EEG power. The differences in hemodynamics and EEG in the PFE prime group may be beneficial in decreasing the neuro-psychological changes associated with CPB and needs further investigation

Futurist painters – Interdisciplinary research on written sources, artists’ materials and paintings

Presentazione della metodologia di lavoro e dei primi risultati del progetto FUTURAHMA, Dal Futurismo al ritorno al classico (1910-1922). Tecniche pittoriche, critica delle varianti e problemi conservativi (MUIR-FIR2012, codice: RBFR12PHL4)

Load-dependent extracellular matrix organization in atrioventricular heart valves: differences and similarities

The extracellular matrix of the atrioventricular (AV) valves' leaflets has a key role in the ability of these valves to properly remodel in response to constantly varying physiological loads. While the loading on mitral and tricuspid valves is significantly different, no information is available on how collagen fibers change their orientation in response to these loads. This study delineates the effect of physiological loading on AV valves' leaflets microstructures using Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy. Fresh natural porcine tricuspid and mitral valves' leaflets (n = 12/valve type) were cut and prepared for the experiments. Histology and immunohistochemistry were performed to compare the microstructural differences between the valves. The specimens were imaged live during the relaxed, loading, and unloading phases using SHG microscopy. The images were analyzed with Fourier decomposition to mathematically seek changes in collagen fiber orientation. Despite the similarities in both AV valves as seen in the histology and immunohistochemistry data, the microstructural arrangement, especially the collagen fiber distribution and orientation in the stress-free condition, were found to be different. Uniaxial loading was dependent on the arrangement of the fibers in their relaxed mode, which led the fibers to reorient in-line with the load throughout the depth of the mitral leaflet but only to reorient in-line with the load in deeper layers of the tricuspid leaflet. Biaxial loading arranged the fibers in between the two principal axes of the stresses independently from their relaxed states. Unlike previous findings, this study concludes that the AV valves' three-dimensional extracellular fiber arrangement is significantly different in their stress-free and uniaxially loaded states; however, fiber rearrangement in response to the biaxial loading remains similar