Inlet Flow Control and Prediction Technologies for Embedded Propulsion Systems

Fail-safe inlet flow control may enable high-speed cruise efficiency, low noise signature, and reduced fuel-burn goals for hybrid wing-body aircraft. The objectives of this program are to develop flow control and prediction methodologies for boundary-layer ingesting (BLI) inlets used in these aircraft. This report covers the second of a three year program. The approach integrates experiments and numerical simulations. Both passive and active flow-control devices were tested in a small-scale wind tunnel. Hybrid actuation approaches, combining a passive microvane and active synthetic jet, were tested in various geometric arrangements. Detailed flow measurements were taken to provide insight into the flow physics. Results of the numerical simulations were correlated against experimental data. The sensitivity of results to grid resolution and turbulence models was examined. Aerodynamic benefits from microvanes and microramps were assessed when installed in an offset BLI inlet. Benefits were quantified in terms of recovery and distortion changes. Microvanes were more effective than microramps at improving recovery and distortion

A preliminary investigation of the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and posttraumatic stress symptoms.

This study examined the relationship between posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms and particular aspects of emotion regulation difficulties among trauma-exposed individuals. Participants were an ethnically diverse sample of 108 undergraduates from an urban university. PTS symptom severity was found to be associated with lack of emotional acceptance, difficulty engaging in goal-directed behavior when upset, impulse-control difficulties, limited access to effective emotion regulation strategies, and lack of emotional clarity. Further, overall difficulties in emotion regulation were associated with PTS symptom severity, controlling for negative affect. Finally, individuals exhibiting PTS symptoms indicative of a PTSD diagnosis reported greater difficulties with emotion regulation than those reporting PTS symptoms at a subthreshold level. The implications of these findings for research and treatment are discussed

Inlet Flow Control and Prediction Technologies for Embedded Propulsion Systems

Fail-safe, hybrid, flow control (HFC) is a promising technology for meeting high-speed cruise efficiency, low-noise signature, and reduced fuel-burn goals for future, Hybrid-Wing-Body (HWB) aircraft with embedded engines. This report details the development of HFC technology that enables improved inlet performance in HWB vehicles with highly integrated inlets and embedded engines without adversely affecting vehicle performance. In addition, new test techniques for evaluating Boundary-Layer-Ingesting (BLI)-inlet flow-control technologies developed and demonstrated through this program are documented, including the ability to generate a BLI-like inlet-entrance flow in a direct-connect, wind-tunnel facility, as well as, the use of D-optimal, statistically designed experiments to optimize test efficiency and enable interpretation of results. Validated improvements in numerical analysis tools and methods accomplished through this program are also documented, including Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes CFD simulations of steady-state flow physics for baseline, BLI-inlet diffuser flow, as well as, that created by flow-control devices. Finally, numerical methods were employed in a ground-breaking attempt to directly simulate dynamic distortion. The advances in inlet technologies and prediction tools will help to meet and exceed "N+2" project goals for future HWB aircraft

Criticality in the two-dimensional random-bond Ising model

The two-dimensional (2D) random-bond Ising model has a novel multicritical point on the ferromagnetic to paramagnetic phase boundary. This random phase transition is one of the simplest examples of a 2D critical point occurring at both finite temperatures and disorder strength. We study the associated critical properties, by mapping the random 2D Ising model onto a network model. The model closely resembles network models of quantum Hall plateau transitions, but has different symmetries. Numerical transfer matrix calculations enable us to obtain estimates for the critical exponents at the random Ising phase transition. The values are consistent with recent estimates obtained from high-temperature series.Comment: minor changes, 7 pages LaTex, 8 postscript figures included using epsf; to be published Phys. Rev. B 55 (1997

Geriatric assessment in surgical oncology: A systematic review

The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has developed as an important prognostic tool to risk stratify older adults and has recently been applied to the surgical field. In this systematic review, we examined the utility of CGA components as predictors of adverse outcomes among geriatric patients undergoing major oncologic surgery

Staging the tumour and staging the host: Pre-treatment combined Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio and modified Glasgow Prognostic Score is associated with overall survival in patients with oesophagogastric cancers undergoing treatment with curative intent

Background: This study examined whether an innate systemic inflammatory response (SIR) measured by combination neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) was associated with overall survival (OS) in patients with esophagogastric cancer (EC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery. Methods: Patients diagnosed with EC, managed with NAC prior to surgery at a regional referral center, between January 2010 and December 2015, were included. The mGPS and NLR were calculated within 12 weeks before NAC. Patients were grouped by combined NLR/mGPS score into three groups of increasing SIR: NLR ≤ 3 (n = 152), NLR > 3 + mGPS = 0 (n = 55), and NLR > 3 + mGPS > 0 (n = 32). Univariable and multivariable Cox regression was used to analyse OS. Results: Overall, 337 NAC patients were included, with 301 (89%) proceeding to surgery and 215 (64%) having R0 resection. There were 203 deaths, with a median follow-up of those alive at censor of 69 months (range 44–114). Higher combined NLR/mGPS score (n = 239) was associated with poorer OS independent of clinical stage and performance status (hazard ratio 1.28, 95% confidence interval 1.02–1.61; p = 0.032), higher rate of progression on NAC (7% vs. 7% vs. 19%; p = 0.003), and lower proportion of eventual resection (80% vs. 84% vs. 53%; p = 0.003). Conclusions: The combined NLR/mGPS score was associated with OS and initial treatment outcomes in patients undergoing NAC prior to surgery for EC, stratifying survival in addition to clinical staging and performance status. The host SIR may be a useful adjunct to multidisciplinary decision making

The Evolutionary Fates of a Large Segmental Duplication in Mouse

Gene duplication and loss are major sources of genetic polymorphism in populations, and are important forces shaping the evolution of genome content and organization. We have reconstructed the origin and history of a 127-kbp segmental duplication, R2d, in the house mouse (Mus musculus). R2d contains a single protein-coding gene, Cwc22. De novo assembly of both the ancestral (R2d1) and the derived (R2d2) copies reveals that they have been subject to nonallelic gene conversion events spanning tens of kilobases. R2d2 is also a hotspot for structural variation: its diploid copy number ranges from zero in the mouse reference genome to >80 in wild mice sampled from around the globe. Hemizygosity for high copy-number alleles of R2d2 is associated in cis with meiotic drive; suppression of meiotic crossovers; and copy-number instability, with a mutation rate in excess of 1 per 100 transmissions in some laboratory populations. Our results provide a striking example of allelic diversity generated by duplication and demonstrate the value of de novo assembly in a phylogenetic context for understanding the mutational processes affecting duplicate genes

Resident involvement and experience do not affect perioperative complications following robotic prostatectomy

Most urologic training programs use robotic prostatectomy (RP) as an introduction to teach residents appropriate robotic technique. However, concerns may exist regarding differences in RP outcomes with resident involvement. Our objective was therefore to evaluate whether resident involvement affects complications, operative time, or length of stay following RP

The relationship between computed tomography-derived sarcopenia, cardiopulmonary exercise testing performance, systemic inflammation, and survival in good performance status patients with oesophago-gastric cancer undergoing neoadjuvant treatment

Background: Thought to capture the nutritional and functional reserve of the cancer patient, whether the computed tomography (CT)-derived sarcopenia score (CT-SS) has complimentary prognostic value to commonly utilized pre-treatment host assessments in patients with oesophago-gastric (OG) cancer is unknown. The aim of the present study was to examine if the CT-SS can stratify survival in OG cancer patients with good performance status [Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) 0/1]. Furthermore, if the CT-SS had complimentary prognostic value to cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) performance and systemic inflammation. Methods: Consecutive patients with confirmed OG cancer and good performance status, who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with a view to surgical resection with curative intent, between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2015, within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and NHS Forth Valley (NHSFV), were identified from a prospectively maintained database. CT-SSs were grouped as 0/1/2. CPET variables recorded included VO2 anaerobic threshold (AT) and peak. Systemic inflammatory response was determined by modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Associations between categorical variables were examined using χ2 test and binary logistics regression analysis. Results: A total of 232 patients met the inclusion criteria. 75% (n = 174) of patients were male, 54% (n = 126) were 65 years or older, and 60% (n = 139) were overweight [body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2]; 33% (n = 77) of patients had CT-SS ≥ 1, 36% (n = 83) had a low VO2 AT (≤11 ml/kg/min), and 57% (n = 132) had a low VO2 peak (≤19 ml/kg/min). Of the 200 patients who had pre-NAC bloods facilitating calculation of the mGPS, 28% (n = 55) had mGPS ≥ 1. Of the 211 patients who had pre-NAC bloods facilitating calculation of NLR, 38% (n = 80) had an NLR ≥ 3; 82% (n = 190) and 53% (n = 122) were alive at 1 and 3 years post-NAC, respectively. On univariate analysis, CT-SS was significantly associated with sex (P < 0.05), histological cell type (P < 0.05), low VO2 AT (P < 0.05), low VO2 peak (P < 0.05), BMI (P < 0.05), mGPS (P < 0.05), and 3-year survival (P < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, tumour, node, and metastasis (TNM) stage (P < 0.05) and CT-SS (P < 0.05) remained significantly associated with 3-year survival. CT-SS was significantly associated with 3-year survival in patients who had mGPS 0 (P < 0.05), but not low VO2 AT (P = 0.066) or peak (P = 0.065). Conclusion: The CT-SS would appear to capture the nutritional and functional reserve of the patient and is a useful objective measure for stratifying long-term survival in patients with good performance status undergoing potentially curative treatment for OG cancer