En face optical coherence tomography of foveal microstructure in full-thickness macular hole: a model to study perifoveal müller cells.

PURPOSE: To characterize perifoveal intraretinal cavities observed around full-thickness macular holes (MH) using en face optical coherence tomography and to establish correlations with histology of human and primate maculae. DESIGN: Retrospective nonconsecutive observational case series. METHODS: Macular en face scans of 8 patients with MH were analyzed to quantify the areas of hyporeflective spaces, and were compared with macular flat mounts and sections from 1 normal human donor eye and 2 normal primate eyes (Macaca fascicularis). Immunohistochemistry was used to study the distribution of glutamine synthetase, expressed by Müller cells, and zonula occludens-1, a tight-junction protein. RESULTS: The mean area of hyporeflective spaces was lower in the inner nuclear layer (INL) than in the complex formed by the outer plexiform (OPL) and the Henle fiber layers (HFL): 5.0 × 10(-3) mm(2) vs 15.9 × 10(-3) mm(2), respectively (P < .0001, Kruskal-Wallis test). In the OPL and HFL, cavities were elongated with a stellate pattern, whereas in the INL they were rounded and formed vertical cylinders. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that Müller cells followed a radial distribution around the fovea in the frontal plane and a "Z-shaped" course in the axial plane, running obliquely in the OPL and HFL and vertically in the inner layers. In addition, zonula occludens-1 co-localized with Müller cells within the complex of OPL and HFL, indicating junctions in between Müller cells and cone axons. CONCLUSION: The dual profile of cavities around MHs correlates with Müller cell morphology and is consistent with the hypothesis of intra- or extracellular fluid accumulation along these cells

GNSS-based Location Determination System Architecture for railway performance assessment in presence of local effects

GNSS plays a strategic role on the introduction of the Virtual Balise functionality and the train integrity. Thanks to GNSS, it could be possible to realize cost effective solutions to increase the safety in the regional lines, where the traffic density is lower. The train position estimation is implemented taking into account that the train is constrained to lie on the track (i.e. track constraint). In this way, we can express the position in terms of the curvilinear abscissa (progressive mileage) of the track corresponding to the train position. However, the impact of local effects such as multipath, foliage attenuation and shadowing in the railway environment plays a crucial role due to the presence of infrastructures like platform roofs, side walls, tunnel entrances, buildings and so on close to the trackside. In the paper, we analyse the impact of those threats on the train GNSS-based position estimation performance. At this aim, several scenarios have been generated by using both real data acquired on a railway test-bed in Sardinia, and synthetic data generated in the lab through ad hoc multipath and foliage models. A sensitivity analysis has been conducted, varying main scenarios parameters (e.g. height of obstacles, presence of trees and shadowing). The result of the performed analysis, in terms of availability, accuracy and integrity, are here presented. mitigations implemented by the ERTMS at system level are not considered since the attention is focused on GNSS only

Letter, 1979 August 15, from Louis P. Rispoli to Gene E. Vollen

1 page, Rispoli was an assistant to Virgil Thomson. Vollen was the Chairman of the Music Department for Pittsburg State University

Investigations on diurnal and seasonal variations of Schumann resonance intensities in the auroral region

Measurements of the magnetic component of the Schumann resonance in the frequency range 6-14 Hz were performed at high latitude location (TNB Antarctica; geographic coordinates: 74.7°S, 164.1°E; geomagnetic coordinates: 80.0°S, 307.7°E; LT=UT+13; MLT=UT8; altitude=28 m a.s.l.), during the two years 1996-1997. TNB is a particularly important observation site located in a region characterised by a high electromagnetic activity in the ELF and VLF bands. Moreover its remote location in Antarctica provides the important advantage that electromagnetic background noise is not corrupted by anthropogenic noise and that the continental lightning activity is very low. The combination of low additional anthropogenic electromagnetic radiation and low atmospheric noise in this area allows detailed investigations into wave generation and amplification in the polar ionosphere and magnetosphere not possible anywhere else in the world. This paper reports the study of the magnetic power of the 8 Hz Schumann resonance mode. For both the years considered diurnal and long-term seasonal variations were observed

Rain erosion numerical modeling applied to multi-MW off-shore wind turbine

In this work, the authors present a numerical prediction of erosion on two different blade geometry of a 6 MW HAWT designed for different aerodynamic loading, with the aim of studying their sensitiveness to erosion. First, the fully 3D simulations are performed using an Euler-Lagrangian approach. Flow field simulations are carried out with the open-source code OpenFOAM, based on a finite volume approach, using Multiple Reference Frame methodology. Reynolds Averaged Navier- Stokes equations for incompressible flow were solved with a k-ε turbulence model. An in-house code (P-Track) is used to compute the rain drops transport and dispersion, adopting the Particle Cloud Tracking approach (PCT). The PCT was used by some of the authors in previous works (Corsini et al., 2012; Corsini et al., 2014) to predict erosion on both axial and centrifugal fans, obtaining satisfactory results. The PCT allows to simulate a huge number of transported phase tracking just few cloud trajectories, thus resulting in reduction of computational time comparing with single particle tracking approach. Erosion is modelled accounting for the main quantities affecting the phenomenon, which is impact velocity and angle, and material properties of the target surface. Results provide the regions of the two blades more sensitive to erosion, and the effect of the blade geometry on erosion attitude

Rain erosion numerical modeling applied to multi-MW off-shore wind turbine

In this work, the authors present a numerical prediction of erosion on two different blade geometry of a 6 MW HAWT designed for different aerodynamic loading, with the aim of studying their sensitiveness to erosion. First, the fully 3D simulations are performed using an Euler-Lagrangian approach. Flow field simulations are carried out with the open-source code OpenFOAM, based on a finite volume approach, using Multiple Reference Frame methodology. Reynolds Averaged Navier- Stokes equations for incompressible flow were solved with a k-ε turbulence model. An in-house code (P-Track) is used to compute the rain drops transport and dispersion, adopting the Particle Cloud Tracking approach (PCT). The PCT was used by some of the authors in previous works (Corsini et al., 2012; Corsini et al., 2014) to predict erosion on both axial and centrifugal fans, obtaining satisfactory results. The PCT allows to simulate a huge number of transported phase tracking just few cloud trajectories, thus resulting in reduction of computational time comparing with single particle tracking approach. Erosion is modelled accounting for the main quantities affecting the phenomenon, which is impact velocity and angle, and material properties of the target surface. Results provide the regions of the two blades more sensitive to erosion, and the effect of the blade geometry on erosion attitude

Time-lapse characterization of hydrothermal seawater and microbial interactions with basaltic tephra at Surtsey Volcano

A new International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) project will drill through the 50-yearoldedifice of Surtsey Volcano, the youngest of the Vestmannaeyjar Islands along the south coast of Iceland, to perform interdisciplinary time-lapse investigations of hydrothermal and microbial interactions with basaltic tephra. The volcano, created in 1963–1967 by submarine and subaerial basaltic eruptions, was first drilled in 1979. In October 2014, a workshop funded by the ICDP convened 24 scientists from 10 countries for 3 and a half days on Heimaey Island to develop scientific objectives, site the drill holes, and organize logistical support. Representatives of the Surtsey Research Society and Environment Agency of Iceland also participated. Scientific themes focus on further determinations of the structure and eruptive processes of the type locality of Surtseyan volcanism, descriptions of changes in fluid geochemistry and microbial colonization of the subterrestrial deposits since drilling 35 years ago, and monitoring the evolution of hydrothermal and biological processes within the tephra deposits far into the future through the installation of a Surtsey subsurface observatory. The tephra deposits provide a geologic analog for developing specialty concretes with pyroclastic rock and evaluating their long-term performance under diverse hydrothermal conditions

Theoretical and Experimental Results from Laboratory Tests by ILCM

The Intermediate Linear Cutting Machine (ILCM) is a machine designed to work on an intermediate scale between the full- and the small-scale. The reduced scale involves several advantages compared to full-scale tests, especially in terms of sample supplying and transportation. On the other hand, it has an impact on the testing conditions, resulting in a limitation of the cutting penetration and spacing during the test, as well as in a smaller disc cutter. This affects most of the results, which cannot be directly used for the on-site machine performance prediction. However, some experimental results provided in the literature show that the optimal spacing/penetration ratio is not significantly affected by the changes involved. On this basis, the results obtained from ILCM tests should provide reliable information about the optimal cutting conditions of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) in massive rock mass. The work performed included the development of some improvements of the testing rig, as well as a modified ILCM testing procedure, according to the one typically used in standard LCM tests. The results provide information about the attitude of the tested lithotypes to mechanical excavation by means of disc tools, including the optimal cutting conditions. Additional work was developed in terms of detailed characterization of the rock samples involved and assessment of the size distribution of the debris produced during the ILCM tests. Nevertheless, further tests are necessary, in order to assess the consistency of the experimental procedure employed and to investigate the scale effect

Influence of turbulence models in the prediction of cavitation occurrence

In the present paper the effect of turbulence models on cavitation occurrence is evaluated by means of numerical simulations on a NACA 66 (MOD) profile. Cavitation will be assessed through the employment of the widely applied Singhal model, based on the use of the Rayleigh-Plesset equation for bubble dynamics description. Two different turbulence models are used to assess the effect of turbulence on cavitation. For this purpose, Scale Adaptive Simulations (SASs) and Transitional Shear Stress Transport (TSST) simulations are carried out on the NACA test case. Results are discussed for two distinct cavitation numbers comparing experimental data and simulations-obtained values of the non-dimensional pressure coefficients. Moreover, temporal trends and Fast Fourier Transformations (FFTs) will be evaluated for the physical quantities of interest, highlighting the main turbulence-induced fluctuating modes. A direct visualization of the cavity breathing phenomenon is then proposed for the severer cavitating condition case