Forward acoustic performance of a model turbofan designed for a high specific flow (QF-14)

Forward noise and overall aerodynamic performance are presented for a high-tip-speed fan having an exceptionally high average axial Mach number at the rotor inlet. This high Mach number is intended to attenuate forward noise at both the design-speed takeoff point, and at the unconventional low-pressure-ratio, design-speed approach point. As speed was increased near design, all forward noise components were reduced, and rear noise in the discharge duct was increased, indicating that the high Mach number flow at the rotor face is attenuating forward noise at takeoff. The fan at takeoff is some 5.5 to 11 dB quieter than several reference fans. Data at the point closest to approach indicated tentatively that the design-speed approach mode was 3 dB quieter than the conventional mode

Parental smoking during pregnancy and risk of overweight and obesity in the daughter

Objective: Emerging evidence suggests that prenatal exposures may affect long-term health outcomes. In utero exposure to smoking is associated with an increased risk of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. However, few studies have examined how prenatal exposure to parental smoking influences risk of obesity in adulthood and whether these associations are independent of childhood and adolescent adiposity. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether prenatal exposure to parental smoking influences body size in adulthood and whether any association may be mediated by childhood and adolescent body size. Methods: We investigated the association between parental smoking during pregnancy and risk of overweight and obesity in adulthood and at age 18, and adiposity during childhood among 35,370 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Data on smoking during pregnancy and socioeconomic variables were provided by the mothers, and anthropometric data and adult risk factors were reported by participants. Results: After adjustment for socioeconomic and behavioral variables, maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with adiposity at ages 5–10, age 18, and during adulthood. For age 18 overweight the ORs (95% CIs) for 1–14, 15–24, and 25+cigarettes/day were 1.13 (1.18–1.50), 1.40 (1.20–1.64), and 1.15 (0.79–1.69) and for obesity were 1.41 (1.14–1.75), 1.69 (1.31–2.18), and 2.36 (1.44–3.86). The corresponding ORs (95% CIs) for obesity in adulthood were 1.26 (1.16–1.37), 1.46 (1.30–1.63), and 1.43 (1.10–1.86). Risk of adiposity was not increased among daughters whose mothers stopped smoking during the first trimester (OR [95% CI] for overweight (1.03 [95% CI 0.90–1.17] and obesity (1.12 [95% CI 0.97–1.30]). Women whose fathers smoked during pregnancy were also at increased risk of overweight and obesity in adulthood with covariate-adjusted ORs (95% CIs) for obesity of 1.19 (1.11–1.29) for 1–14 cigarettes/day, 1.27 (1.18–1.37) for 15–24 cigarettes/day, and 1.40 (1.27–1.54) for 25+ cigarettes/day compared to fathers who did not smoke (ptrend<0.0001). Paternal smoking during pregnancy was also associated with an increased risk of obesity at age 18 among those whose fathers smoked 15 or more cigarettes/day but was not associated with childhood body size. Conclusions: Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated in a dose-response manner with overweight and obesity in the daughter through adolescence and adult life. Smoking cessation during the first trimester appears to mitigate this excess risk. Paternal smoking was also associated with risk of overweight and obesity of the adult daughter and this association persisted after adjustment for maternal smoking

Fabrication Of Steaks From Spent Hens

Research at SDSU has demonstrated that meat from spent laying hens (spent fowl) can be utilized in the production of fabricated steaks and/or roasts. Previous studies utilized raw meat from carcasses that were manually deboned. Under commercial deboning, meat that has been precooked is more easily separated from the bone. Precooking reduces the ability for meat to hold together or bind in a processed product. Precooked and raw spent fowl muscles were compared as raw material for the production of fabricated steaks. The objective of this research was to produce from precooked spent fowl muscle a palatable restructured product that will withstand handling, cooking and serving

The Influence of Boron (B), Tin (Sn), Copper (Cu), and Manganese (Mn) on the Microstructure of Spheroidal Graphite Irons

Most spheroidal graphite irons (SGIs) have a matrix consisting of ferrite, pearlite, or a mix of the two. To achieve the desired matrix composition, pearlite promoters such as Mn, Cu, or Sn, are added to the molten metal. Among these elements, Sn is the most potent pearlite promoter. However, each has a different impact on the solidification, graphite precipitation, eutectoid transformation, and ultimately the final structure of the material. Research has shown that B promotes ferrite in fully pearlitic grades where Cu and Mn were used to promote pearlite. The present work investigates the effect of B in SGI with additions of Sn, Cu, and Mn, and the effects of varying amounts of the different pearlite promoters on the matrix composition. The results show that Mn alone at levels of approximately 0.9 wt% is not enough to promote a fully pearlitic matrix, while 0.5 wt% Cu combined with 0.67 wt% Mn is sufficient. Likewise, a fully pearlitic microstructure can be obtained by alloying with 0.06 wt% Sn and 0.67 wt% Mn. B was found to promote ferrite in fully pearlitic SGI alloyed with Sn or Cu. However, in the absence of those elements, B promoted pearlite when alloyed with just Mn. Graphite protrusions were observed on the graphite nodule surface only for B-added alloys with Sn and Cu. In these cases, it is believed B promotes ferrite by changing the growth mechanism of graphite after solidification from spherical to lamellar. However, a different graphite morphology is observed when B is added with just Mn. Thermal analysis data is in agreement with the microstructural observations regarding the ferrite promoting effect of B

Effect of the thermal gradient variation through geological time on basin modeling; a case study: The Paris basin.

Many studies investigated the thermal modeling of the Paris basin for petroleum interests during the 1970s. Most of the softwares developed by oil companies or research centers were based on the assumption of a constant thermal gradient. In order to take into consideration the variation of the thermal gradient during basin evolution, we developed the TherMO's Visual Basic 1D program. We applied our model to twenty boreholes located along a cross-section roughly running EW over 150 km in the center of the Paris basin. The numerical results were calibrated with organic matter maturity data. TherMO's simulates the amount of heat provided to the sedimentary organic matter. The heat parameter simulated shows lateral variation along the cross-section. It decreases from Rambouillet to Trou Aux Loups boreholes (87–66 mW/m2) at about 100 km more to the east whereas the heat flux value simulated is 73 mW/m2 in St. Loup borehole. The mean thermal gradient calculated for liassic horizons at 87 My for the Rambouillet well is 50.4 °C/km. This value is similar to previously published results. By integrating the calculation of the thermal gradients and conductivities related to the burial of each stratigraphic sequence, our approach points out variations in the thermal regimes the sedimentary organic matter (SOM) has been subjected to through geological time

Implications of spatial and temporal evolutions of thermal parameters in basin modelling

International audienceThis paper presents the Paris Basin numerical modelling at a high sequential resolution scale (1–5 my). Simulations were carried out from the computation of thermal gradients and conductivities varying with the burial of genetic units. Geologic heating rates are also calculated throughout the burial of the stratigraphic sequences. Thermal energies are then deduced. The Paris Basin is well known for its hydrocarbon potential in Liassic sediments. This study is focused on an east–west cross-section through the basin. The results show spatial and temporal variations of thermal parameters from the western to the eastern part of the profile. The reactivation of Hercynian fracture systems during the Mesozoic may be responsible for the computed variations in thermal conductivities and thermal gradients. Major geodynamic events also played a role in the simulated thermal history. Variations of the thermal energy are observed and are well correlated with the burial history of the basin. We suggest linking the simulated thermal energies to the thermal cracking of the organic matter. Our results are consistent with the prediction of hydrocarbon potential in the Cretaceous period. Consequently, this approach provides new insights to improve petroleum generation modelling issues

Bridging the GUI gap with reactive values and relations

There are at present two ways to write GUIs for functional code. One is to use standard GUI toolkits, with all the benefits they bring in terms of feature completeness, choice of platform, conformance to platform-specific look-and-feel, long-term viability, etc. However, such GUI APIs mandate an imperative programming style for the GUI and related parts of the application. Alternatively, we can use a functional GUI toolkit. The GUI can then be written in a functional style, but at the cost of foregoing many advantages of standard toolkits that often will be of critical importance. This paper introduces a light-weight framework structured around the notions of reactive values and reactive relations . It allows standard toolkits to be used from functional code written in a functional style. We thus bridge the gap between the two worlds, bringing the advantages of both to the developer. Our framework is available on Hackage and has been been validated through the development of non-trivial applications in a commercial context, and with different standard GUI toolkits

Response to ranibizumab therapy in neovascular AMD - an evaluation of good and bad responders

Background: Treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with Lucentis® shows a broad spectrum regarding the course of visual acuity (VA). While some patients show a good response (increase in VA), others disclose much less promising results. Patients and Methods: A retrospective data analysis of all eyes treated for neovascular AMD at the University Hospital of Zurich, Switzerland for at least 12 months was carried out. The courses of VA between the 90th (good responders, GR) and the 10th (bad responders, BR) percentiles were compared at 3, 12 and 24 months from baseline. An analysis regarding demographic data, lesion type and size as well as injection frequency and visits was done and predictive factors for GR and BR were evaluated. Results: Marked differences in the course of VA between GR (n = 30) and BR (n = 30) are already observed 3 months from baseline. In GR the gains in VA after 3, 12 and 24 were 15.7 ± 9 letters ETDRS, 25.3 ± 7 and 14.0 ± 14. BR showed a deterioration of 8.3 ± 11 letters ETDRS after 3, 22.1 ± 8 after 12 and 23.6 ± 13 after 24 months. The gender distribution was equal with a higher percentage of female patients (64 % in BR and 66 % in GR). The baseline VA was statistically significantly lower in GR (45.7 ± 10 vs. 55.4 ± 11, p < 0.05) than in BR. No other significant differences in baseline data were found, and no predictor for group membership could be identified. Conclusions: Only the course of VA in the first three months seems to be of value for an estimation of the response to treatment. In the future the response to treatment in the early phase may influence the treatment algorithm and the injection frequency