Investigation of the Performance of a Staggered Configuration of Tidal Turbines Using CFD

This is the final version of the article. Available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.This paper investigates the influence of wake interaction and blockage on the performance of individual turbines in a staggered configuration in a tidal stream farm using the CFD based Immersed Body Force turbine modelling method. The inflow condition to each turbine is unknown in advance making it difficult to apply the correct loading to individual devices. In such cases, it is necessary to establish an appropriate range of operating points by varying the loading or body forces in order to understand the influence of wake interaction and blockage on the performance of the individual devices. The performance of the downstream turbines was heavily affected by the wake interaction from the upstream turbines, though there were accelerated regions within the farm which could be potentially used to increase the overall power extraction from the farm. Laterally closely packed turbines can improve the performance of those turbines due to the blockage effect, but this could also affect the performance of downstream turbines. Thus balancing both the effect of blockage and wake interaction continues to be a huge challenge for optimising the performance of devices in a tidal stream farm.This study is funded by EPSRC, project number EP/J010138/1, under the Supergen Marine research program

Hansen's Disease in Portugal: Multibacillary Patients Treated Between 1988 and 2003

BACKGROUND: There is an estimate low incidence of patients with Hansen's disease in Portugal. Following the 1982 World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, extended multidrug therapy (MDT) was started for multibacillary (MB) patients. Patients were then treated with rifampicine (RFP), clofazimine (CLF) and dapsone (DDS) for a minimum of 2 years or until smear negativity. The aim of this study was to evaluate MDT efficacy in our patient population. METHODS: Retrospective and descriptive study of 102 MB patients who underwent MDT from 1988 to 2003. RESULTS: The number of new MB patients has gradually increased since 1960, the first year of our consultation, due mostly to a rise in imported cases. Overall, 34% of the subjects were immigrants, mainly from former Portuguese Colonies. Forty-six patients had previously received monotherapy with DDS (mean duration of this treatment, 22 years). Relapse after MDT occurred in 9 cases (8.8%), but importantly, all relapsed cases were smear negative at least on one occasion after the end of treatment, suggesting these were true relapses rather than treatment failures. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the 2-year WHO-MDT regimen, patients with MB disease clearly face the possibility of relapse. We propose that any reduction in the duration of therapy such as the recently proposed 6-month standard MDT is likely to increase the relapse rate even further. Important issues for future consideration are the needs to identify those at risk of relapse and in need of alternative antimicrobial treatment with a prolonged clinical follow-up.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Apoptotic signaling through CD95 (Fas/Apo-1) activates an acidic sphingomyelinase.

Intracellular pathways leading from membrane receptor engagement to apoptotic cell death are still poorly characterized. We investigated the intracellular signaling generated after cross-linking of CD95 (Fas/Apo-1 antigen), a broadly expressed cell surface receptor whose engagement results in triggering of cellular apoptotic programs. DX2, a new functional anti-CD95 monoclonal antibody was produced by immunizing mice with human CD95-transfected L cells. Crosslinking of CD95 with DX2 resulted in the activation of a sphingomyelinase (SMase) in promyelocytic U937 cells, as well as in other human tumor cell lines and in CD95-transfected murine cells, as demonstrated by induction of in vivo sphingomyelin (SM) hydrolysis and generation of ceramide. Direct in vitro measurement of enzymatic activity within CD95-stimulated U937 cell extracts, using labeled SM vesicles as substrates, showed strong SMase activity, which required pH 5.0 for optimal substrate hydrolysis. Finally, all CD95-sensitive cell lines tested could be induced to undergo apoptosis after exposure to cell-permeant C2-ceramide. These data indicate that CD95 cross-linking induces SM breakdown and ceramide production through an acidic SMase, thus providing the first information regarding early signal generation from CD95, and may be relevant in defining the biochemical nature of intracellular messengers leading to apoptotic cell death

Simulation of PV array characteristics and fabrication of microcontroller based MPPT

In photovoltaic (PV) systems, the PV array represents about 57% of the total cost of the system, so it is very desirable to operate the PV panel at the maximum power point (MPP). The output characteristics of the solar array are nonlinear and vitally affected by solar radiation, temperature, and load conditions. In this respect simulation analysis of PV array is essential to understand the output characteristics of PV array such that it can operate at the maximum power producing point for a given atmospheric condition. This paper explores the output characteristics of a PV array in MATLAB environment and the fabrication of a microcontroller based simple maximum power point tracker (MPPT). The fabricated MMPT has the capability to track the MPP and the use of the MPPT enhances the output power by 20%. ©2010 IEEE

Prévalence du syndrome métabolique chez les sujets hypertendus adultes dans les formations sanitaires de Parakou (Bénin)

Le syndrome métabolique (SM) est un groupe d’anomalies qui confère un risque accru de développer les maladies cardiovasculaires et le diabète de type 2. L’objectif de cette étude était de déterminer la prévalencedu SM chez les hypertendus adultes dans les formations sanitaires de Parakou selon les critères de la Fédération Internationale du Diabète (FID) et de la National Cholesterol Education Programme (NCEP) et d’évaluer la concordance entre ces deux critères. A travers une étude descriptive transversale avec recueil prospectif des données menée du 20 février au 30 juin 2010, 270 sujets hypertendus adultes (150 femmes, 120hommes) ont été recrutés dans huit formations sanitaires de Parakou (Bénin). Chaque sujet de l’étude a bénéficié de mesures suivantes : poids, taille, pression artérielle, glycémie, cholestérolémie HDL ettriglycéridémie. La prévalence du SM selon les critères de la FID était de 69,6% contre 65,2% selon ceux de la NCEP. Le taux de prévalence était significativement plus élevé chez les femmes que chez les hommesindépendamment des critères utilisés (les deux p < 0,001). La  concordance entre les deux définitions était moyenne : 0,41 (intervalle de confiance à 95%: 0,30 - 0,53)

Why lose weight? Reasons for seeking weight loss by overweight but otherwise healthy men

OBJECTIVE: To identify the reasons for seeking weight loss in overweight or obese but otherwise healthy men. DESIGN: Interviews, prior to intervention, with subjects who had volunteered to participate in a work-site-based weight loss study. SUBJECTS: Ninety-one overweight=obese male workers. Mean age 41, range 18 – 55 y, mean body mass index (BMI) 31.0, range 26.2 – 41.6 kg=m2. MEASUREMENTS: Anthropometric measurements; body weight and height. Body mass index calculated. A short interview using open questions to determine the individuals reason for seeking weight loss. RESULTS: The message that weight loss is beneficial to health for the overweight was recognized by all subjects regardless of BMI, and was reported as the main factor for attempting weight loss. Improved fitness and effects on appearance and well-being were reported half as often as the primary reason for weight loss. CONCLUSION: Overweight lay members of the public have accepted the health education message that weight loss can improve health. Overweight but otherwise healthy men who responded, of their own accord, to an electronic mail message offering help to lose weight did not regard obesity and overweight as primarily a cosmetic issue. This is still, however, important, especially to younger people

Fluid therapy in critical illness

Major surgery and critical illnesses such as sepsis and trauma all disturb normal physiological fluid handling. Intravenous fluid therapy for resuscitation and fluid maintenance is a central part of medical care during these conditions, yet the evidence base supporting practice in this area lacks answers to a number of important questions. Recent research developments include a refinement of our knowledge of the endothelial barrier structure and function and a focus on the potential harm that may be associated with intravenous fluid therapy. Here, we briefly describe the contemporary view of fluid physiology and how this may be disrupted by pathological processes. The important themes in critical illness fluid research are discussed, with a particular focus on two emerging ideas: firstly, that individualising fluid treatment to the patient, their underlying disease state and the phase of that illness may be key to improving clinical outcomes using fluid interventions and, secondly, that fluids should be considered to be drugs, with specific indications and contraindications, dose ranges and potential toxicities

On the S-wave piD-scattering length in the relativistic field theory model of the deuteron

The S-wave scattering length of the strong pion-deuteron (pi D) scattering is calculated in the relativistic field theory model of the deuteron suggested in [1,2].The theoretical result agrees well with the experimental data. The important role of the Delta-resonance contribution to the elastic pi D-scattering is confirmed.Comment: 7 pages, no figures, accepted for publication in Z. Phys.