Description and evaluation of digital-computer design-analysis program for homopolar inductor alternators

Digital computer program for homopolar inductor alternator electromagnetic design analysi

Motor-starting characteristics of two inductor alternators

Motor starting characteristics of two inductor alternator

Neurovascular dysfunction in vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s and atherosclerosis

Efficient blood supply to the brain is of paramount importance to its normal functioning and improper blood flow can result in potentially devastating neurological consequences. Cerebral blood flow in response to neural activity is intrinsically regulated by a complex interplay between various cell types within the brain in a relationship termed neurovascular coupling. The breakdown of neurovascular coupling is evident across a wide variety of both neurological and psychiatric disorders including Alzheimer’s disease. Atherosclerosis is a chronic syndrome affecting the integrity and function of major blood vessels including those that supply the brain, and it is therefore hypothesised that atherosclerosis impairs cerebral blood flow and neurovascular coupling leading to cerebrovascular dysfunction. This review will discuss the mechanisms of neurovascular coupling in health and disease and how atherosclerosis can potentially cause cerebrovascular dysfunction that may lead to cognitive decline as well as stroke. Understanding the mechanisms of neurovascular coupling in health and disease may enable us to develop potential therapies to prevent the breakdown of neurovascular coupling in the treatment of vascular brain diseases including vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and stroke

Growing plants on oily, nutrient-poor soil using a native symbiotic fungus

<div><p>The roots of land plants associate with microbes, including fungal symbionts that can confer abiotic stress tolerance. Bitumen extraction following oil-sand surface mining in the Athabasca region of Alberta, Canada removes plant nutrients but leaves a petrochemical residue, making the coarse tailings (CT) hostile to both plants and microbes. We isolated an endophyte strain of the Ascomycete <i>Trichoderma harzianum</i> we call TSTh20-1 (hereafter, TSTh) from a dandelion that was naturally growing on CT. TSTh colonization allowed tomato, wheat, and remediation seed mixtures to germinate and their seedlings to flourish on CT without the use of fertilizer. Compared to control plants, TSTh increased germination speed, percent germination, and biomass accumulation. TSTh also improved plant water use efficiency and drought recovery. TSTh-colonized plants secreted twice the level of peroxidase into CT as did plants alone. Over two months, plants colonized with TSTh doubled the petrochemical mobilization from CT over plants alone, suggesting a peroxide-mediated mechanism for petrochemical degradation. TSTh grew on autoclaved CT, bitumen, and other petrochemicals as sole carbon sources. Further, TSTh is a micro-aerobe that could metabolize ¹³C-phenanthrene to ¹³CO₂ in 0.5% oxygen. TSTh has excellent potential for contributing to revegetating and remediating petrochemical contamination.</p></div

Secretion of reactive oxygen species.

<p>A) When grown on coarse tailings, both axenic plants and those colonized with TSTh secreted cell-free peroxidases into the soil. TSTh colonization was associated with a more than 2-fold increase in peroxidase secretion. B) TSTh was assayed with diaminobenzidine. As well as the H₂O₂ positive control, TSTh grown on 10W30 motor oil and on diesel oil were positive for ROS, whereas TSTh grown on glucose was not. Cultures were grown until sporulation (arrows).</p

<i>Trichoderma harzianum</i> TSTh20-1 (TSTh) metabolized ¹³C-phenanthrene to ¹³CO₂ under micro-aerobic conditions.

<p>After two weeks growth and for more than nine weeks, TSTh generated several-fold more ¹³CO₂ than the media-only control treatment (solid line) or that plus two standard errors (dashed line).</p

TSTh improved drought recovery for tomato seedlings.

<p>Six-week-old tomato seedlings were deprived of water for 2 d to induce wilt, then watered heavily. The graph shows leaf water content prior to and during recovery. Plants colonized with TSTh (ovals) wilted less and recovered faster than those without (triangles). The image shows recovery at 30 min. ‘With TSTh’ regression: y = 0.165 ln(x) + 88.9, r² = 0.9988. ‘Without TSTh’ regression: y = 0.016 x + 87.79, r² = 0.981.</p

<i>Trichoderma harzianum</i> TSTh20-1 (TSTh) growing for 14 d (A, B) or 7 d (C, D) on diesel and 10W30 oil, respectively.

<p>TSTh in A, B had been growing for 5 weeks on petrochemicals, whereas C, D had been growing for 16 weeks. Box in A indicates tiny spore aggregates (ca 10⁵ spores) on diesel. Box in B indicates a larger spore aggregate (ca 5x10⁶) on 10W30. Growth and sporulation was much improved in Fig 5C, D.</p