A viscous inverse method for aerodynamic design

A numerical technique to solve two-dimensional inverse problems that arise in aerodynamic design is presented. The approach, which is well-established for inviscid, rotational flows, is here extended to the viscous case. Two-dimensional and axisymmetric configurations are here considered. The solution of the inverse problem is given as the steady state of an ideal transient during which the flowfield assesses itself to the boundary conditions by changing the boundary contour. Comparisons with theoretical and experimental results are used to validate the numerical procedure

New CXCR4 Antagonist Peptide R (Pep R) Improves Standard Therapy in Colorectal Cancer

he chemokine receptor CXCR4 is overexpressed and functional in colorectal cancer. To investigate the role of CXCR4 antagonism in potentiating colon cancer standard therapy, the new peptide CXCR4 antagonist Peptide R (Pep R) was employed. Human colon cancer HCT116 xenograft-bearing mice were treated with chemotherapeutic agents (CT) 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) and oxaliplatin (OX) or 5FU and radio chemotherapy (RT-CT) in the presence of Pep R. After two weeks, CT plus Pep R reduced by 4-fold the relative tumor volume (RTV) as compared to 2- and 1.6-fold reductions induced, respectively, by CT and Pep R. In vitro Pep R addition to CT/RT-CT impaired HCT116 cell growth and further reduced HCT116 and HT29 clonal capability. Thus, the hypothesis that Pep R could target the epithelial mesenchyme transition (EMT) process was evaluated. While CT decreased ECAD and increased ZEB-1 and CD90 expression, the addition of Pep R restored the pretreatment expression. In HCT116 and HT29 cells, CT/RT-CT induced a population of CD133+CXCR4+ cells, supposedly a stem-resistant cancer cell population, while Pep R reduced it. Taken together, the results showed that targeting CXCR4 ameliorates the effect of treatment in colon cancer through inhibition of cell growth and reversal of EMT treatment-induced markers, supporting further clinical studies

Incorporation of Numerical Plume Rise Algorithms in the Lagrangian Particle Model LAPMOD and Validation against the Indianapolis and Kincaid Datasets

This paper describes the methodology used to incorporate two numerical plume rise algorithms, one by Janicke and Janicke and another by Webster and Thomson, into the Lagrangian particle model LAPMOD. LAPMOD is fully interfaced with the diagnostic meteorological model CALMET, which is part of the widely used CALPUFF modeling system. LAPMOD can also use the meteorological input files produced with the AERMET meteorological processor of the US-EPA recommended model AERMOD. This paper outlines the theory behind the two plume rise algorithms and the details of their implementation in LAPMOD. The paper also provides the results of the evaluation of LAPMOD and its included plume rise algorithms against the well-known Indianapolis and Kincaid SF6 and SO2 field studies and tracer experiments. The performance of LAPMOD is successfully evaluated with the Model Evaluation Kit and compared with that of other air quality models

A small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering study of 1-butene LLDPE obtained by metallocene and Ziegler-Natta catalysis

Four samples were examined of 1-butene linear low density polyethylene, having comparable molecular weight and different comonomer content. Two of them were obtained by using metallocene catalysts and the other ones were commercial products from Ziegler-Natta catalysis. An analysis was carried out by small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering in order to obtain information on the distribution of the lamellar thicknesses, the crystallinity of the samples and the expansion of the crystalline unit cell, as a function of the comonomer content. A narrower distribution of the lamellar thicknesses was detected in the samples obtained by homogeneous catalysis. Some evidence is reported on the exclusion of chain branchings from the crystalline regions