Assessment of inlet efficiency through a 3D simulation: numerical and experimental comparison

Inlet efficiency is a requirement for characterizing the flow transfers between surface and sewer flow during rain events. The dual drainage approach is based on the joint analysis of both upper and lower drainage levels, and the flow transfer is one of the relevant elements to define properly this joint behaviour. This paper presents the results of an experimental and numerical investigation about the inlet efficiency definition. A full scale (1:1) test platform located in the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) reproduces both the runoff process in streets and the water entering the inlet. Data from tests performed on this platform allow the inlet efficiency to be estimated as a function of significant hydraulic and geometrical parameters. A reproduction of these tests through a numerical three-dimensional code (Flow-3D) has been carried out simulating this type of flow by solving the RANS equations. The aim of the work was to reproduce the hydraulic performance of a previously tested grated inlet under several flow and geometric conditions using Flow-3D as a virtual laboratory. This will allow inlet efficiencies to be obtained without previous experimental tests. Moreover, the 3D model allows a better understanding of the hydraulics of the flow interception and the flow patterns approaching the inlet.Preprin

Corrections, Health, and Human Services: Evidence-based Planning and Evaluation

This report is the product of an Inter-Ministry initiative within British Columbia\u27s Provincial Government, and is designed to promote integrated planning, delivery, and evaluation of services to reduce the risk that people with substance use and mental disorders become unnecessarily involved with the corrections system. The BC ministries partnered in this project include the BC Ministry of Health, BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, and the BC Ministry of Employment & Income Assistance

D0-branes in flux 5-brane backgrounds

The existence of supersymmetric D0-branes at an arbitrary distance from a flux 5-brane is proven. The physical picture in type IIA is consistent with the Kaluza-Klein reduction origin of the flux 5-brane. An analysis of the fluctuations around these vacua is performed and the backreaction of the D0-branes computed. Non-threshold D0-D2 bound states and similar stabilization mechanisms for D2-branes in such backgrounds are also briefly discussed.Comment: 1+22 pages, no figures; v2. references added, final version to appear in Nuclear Physics

Hydrodynamics and Oxygen Bubble Characterization of Catalytic Cells Used in Artificial Photosynthesis by Means of CFD

Miniaturized cells can be used in photo-electrochemistry to perform water splitting. The geometry, process variables and removal of oxygen bubbles in these cells need to be optimized. Bubbles tend to remain attached to the catalytic surface, thus blocking the reaction, and they therefore need to be dragged out of the cell. Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations have been carried out to assess the design of miniaturized cells and their results have been compared with experimental results. It has been found that low liquid inlet velocities (~0.1 m/s) favor the homogeneous distribution of the flow. Moderate velocities (0.5–1 m/s) favor preferred paths. High velocities (~2 m/s) lead to turbulent behavior of the flow, but avoid bubble coalescence and help to drag the bubbles. Gravity has a limited effect at this velocity. Finally, channeled cells have also been analyzed and they allow a good flow distribution, but part of the catalytic area could be lost. The here presented results can be used as guidelines for the optimum design of photocatalytic cells for the water splitting reaction for the production of solar fuels, such as H2 or other CO2 reduction products (i.e., CO, CH4, among others)

Depression predicts revascularization procedures for 5 years after coronary angiography.

OBJECTIVE:Depression has been reported to increase cardiac event rates and functional impairment in patients with coronary disease. This article describes the impact of depression on subsequent healthcare utilization for such patients. METHODS:One hundred ninety-eight health maintenance organization patients with stable coronary disease were interviewed after elective angiography using a structured psychiatric diagnostic scale. Cardiac events, hospitalizations, procedures, and costs were monitored for the next 5 years through automated data. Subjects were classified at the time of angiography by modified DSM-IV criteria into those with major, minor, and no depression. RESULTS:In univariate analyses, the no depression group (N = 136) was most likely to receive coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (61% vs. 36% in the major depression group vs. 27% in the minor depression group, p =.001), and the major depression group (N = 25) was most likely to receive percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) (44% vs. 14% in the minor depression group vs. 24% in the no depression group). The minor depression group (N = 37) was least likely to be hospitalized for cardiac reasons during follow-up (54% vs. 80% in the major depression group vs. 80% in the no depression group, p =.005). Five-year rates of myocardial infarction and death did not differ significantly between groups. Proportional hazard models showed that those in the depression groups differed in time from catheterization to CABG (chi2(2) = 11.9, p =.003) and time to PCTA (chi2(2) = 7.74, p =.02) after controlling for relevant covariates. Median regression showed that patients with no depression had higher costs during the first year but tended to have lower costs in years 2 through 5 than patients with minor or major depression. CONCLUSIONS:Depression status at angiography is associated with the need for revascularization and total healthcare costs for the following year

Discontinuation of reflex testing of stool samples for vancomycin-resistant enterococci resulted in increased prevalence

Discontinuation of reflex testing stool submitted for Clostridium difficile testing for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) led to an increase of patients with healthcare-associated VRE bacteremia and bacteriuria (2.1 versus 3.6 per 10,000 patient days; p<0.01 ). Cost-benefit analysis showed reflex screening and isolation of VRE reduced hospital costs

A genome-wide association study identifies a susceptibility locus for biliary atresia on 2p16.1 within the gene EFEMP1

Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare pediatric cholangiopathy characterized by fibrosclerosing obliteration of the extrahepatic bile ducts, leading to cholestasis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and eventual liver failure. The etiology of BA remains unknown, although environmental, inflammatory, infectious, and genetic risk factors have been proposed. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in a European-American cohort of 343 isolated BA patients and 1716 controls to identify genetic loci associated with BA. A second GWAS was performed in an independent European-American cohort of 156 patients with BA and other extrahepatic anomalies and 212 controls to confirm the identified candidate BA-associated SNPs. Meta-analysis revealed three genome-wide significant BA-associated SNPs on 2p16.1 (rs10865291, rs6761893, and rs727878; P < 5 ×10-8), located within the fifth intron of the EFEMP1 gene, which encodes a secreted extracellular protein implicated in extracellular matrix remodeling, cell proliferation, and organogenesis. RNA expression analysis showed an increase in EFEMP1 transcripts from human liver specimens isolated from patients with either BA or other cholestatic diseases when compared to normal control liver samples. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that EFEMP1 is expressed in cholangiocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells in liver specimens from patients with BA and other cholestatic diseases, but it is absent from cholangiocytes in normal control liver samples. Efemp1 transcripts had higher expression in cholangiocytes and portal fibroblasts as compared with other cell types in normal rat liver. The identification of a novel BA-associated locus, and implication of EFEMP1 as a new BA candidate susceptibility gene, could provide new insights to understanding the mechanisms underlying this severe pediatric disorder

A human IgE bispecific antibody shows potent cytotoxic capacity mediated by monocytes

The generation of bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) targeting two different antigens opens a new level of specificity and, compared to mAbs, improved clinical efficacy in cancer therapy. Currently, the different strategies for development of bsAbs primarily focus on IgG isotypes. Nevertheless, in comparison to IgG isotypes, IgE has been shown to offer superior tumor control in preclinical models. Therefore, in order to combine the promising potential of IgE molecules with increased target selectivity of bsAbs, we developed dual tumor-associated antigen-targeting bispecific human IgE antibodies. As proof of principle, we used two different pairing approaches - knobs-into-holes and leucine zipper-mediated pairing. Our data show that both strategies were highly efficient in driving bispecific IgE formation, with no undesired pairings observed. Bispecific IgE antibodies also showed a dose-dependent binding to their target antigens, and cell bridging experiments demonstrated simultaneous binding of two different antigens. As antibodies mediate a major part of their effector functions through interaction with Fc receptors (FcRs) expressed on immune cells, we confirmed FcεR binding by inducing in vitro mast cell degranulation and demonstrating in vitro and in vivo monocyte-mediated cytotoxicity against target antigen-expressing Chinese hamster ovary cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that the IgE bsAb construct was significantly more efficient in mediating antibody-dependent cell toxicity than its IgG1 counterpart. In conclusion, we describe the successful development of first bispecific IgE antibodies with superior antibody-dependent cell toxicity-mediated cell killing in comparison to IgG bispecific antibodies. These findings highlight the relevance of IgE-based bispecific antibodies for clinical application