A panel method for trans-cavitating marine propellers

The extension to super-cavitating propellers of the numerical panel method developed by the Marine CFD Group of the University of Genova is presented and largely validated in the paper. The validation of the theoretical model for the cavity detachment and closure in the wake of the blade profiles is presented first on a typical supercavitating profile for which theoretical and experimental solutions are known. Then the 3D panel method is applied on the complete series of Newton- Rader trans-cavitating propeller for which experimental measurements in cavitation tunnel and numerical results obtained by other researchers have been recently published. The main dynamic characteristics such as thrust and torque coefficients versus the advance ratio and the cavitation index, but also the cavitation patterns, in terms of bubble length at various radii, bubble volume and extension on the trailing vortex wake are presented and discussed for various propellers of the N-R series, having different pitch and expanded area ratios. Good correlations are in general achieved for what regards not only cavitation patterns, but also thrust and torque breakdown consequent to the cavity inception and growth on propeller blades.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/84273/1/CAV2009-final79.pd

Bone mineral content in Hawaiian, Asian, and Filipino children.

Os calcis bone mineral content (BMC) was measured by single photon absorptiometry in 86 children, ages 6 to 13 years from Hawaiian, Oriental, Caucasian, and Filipino ethnic groups. Pearson correlations indicated significant positive correlations between BMC and age, height, and weight. However, there were no significant differences in age, height or weight between ethnic groups. ANOVA revealed a significant effect of ethnic group on BMC with the Hawaiian group having a significantly higher BMC than the Asian or Caucasian groups. When age, height and weight were controlled for, ANCOVA still showed a significant effect of ethnicity on BMC. The current findings suggest that ethnic differences can develop early in life

Comparison of experimental and numerical sloshing loads in partially filled tanks

Sloshing phenomenon consists in the movement of liquids inside partially filled tanks, whichgenerates dynamic loads on the tank structure. Resulting impact pressures are of great importance in assessingstructural strength, and their correct evaluation still represents a challenge for the designer due to the highnonlinearities involved, with complex free surface deformations, violent impact phenomena and influence of airtrapping. In the present paper a set of two-dimensional cases for which experimental results are available areconsidered to assess merits and shortcomings of different numerical methods for sloshing evaluation, namely twocommercial RANS solvers (FLOW-3D and LS-DYNA), and two own developed methods (Smoothed ParticleHydrodynamics and RANS). Impact pressures at different critical locations and global moment induced by watermotion for a partially filled tank with rectangular section having a rolling motion have been evaluated and resultsare compared with experiments

Is naming of hospitals a matter for nursing ethics? The case of San Francisco General Hospital and Mark Zuckerberg.

Countries without fully funded healthcare rely on charitable donations from individuals and corporations to fund healthcare for vulnerable groups. In some cases, donations result in departments or hospitals being named for the donor. Naming buildings for persons or institutions potentially allows both parties to benefit from reputational connection, which is why a high commercial premium is placed upon, for example, stadium naming rights. Some ‘donations’ to charitable causes are better considered investment because resultant virtue signalling can lead to reputational enhancement. This can cast a different light on the intention on some donors, resulting in a long history of declined donations, notably by tobacco companies. Reputational enhancement of the donor can come at the cost of diminished reputation of the recipient, and it is possible that these changes in public perception have public health implications. Part of the function of nurses and other healthcare professionals is to promote public health and so anything that threatens it is of fundamental concern. Mark Zuckerberg is inextricably connected to social media particularly Facebook and Instagram and while these platforms have been used to some benefit in healthcare there are also significant concerns in respect of privacy, lacklustre responses to sharing of inappropriate material, and willingness to manipulate users. Facebook has not apologised for undertaking a large study when the emotions of 700,000 people were manipulated without notification, consent or concern for subsequent wellbeing. Taken together, these assessments of the operation and motivation of companies controlled by Mark Zuckerberg argue that they constitute a public health and wellbeing threat which needs to be addressed by healthcare professionals, including public campaigning for changes in social media practice and revocation of naming rights for hospitals

Ethanol fermentation- and ethylene physiology-related gene expression profiles in Red Delicious apples stored under variable hypoxic conditions and protocols

Dynamic Controlled Atmosphere (DCA) is beneficial in maintaining specific quality parameters but, due to the extreme oxygen levels applied, can cause adverse effects on the fruit by inducing excessive anaerobic metabolism and the production of off­flavors. The metabolic adaptation and responses of apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) cv. Red Delicious to static or dynamic oxygen concentrations (0.3 and 0.8%, with sequential shifts) during cold storage for 7 months were studied by monitoring quality parameters and the expression of genes involved in sugar, fermentative metabolism, and ethylene physiology. Ethanol content reached the highest levels (around 400 mg/kg FW) under 0.3% oxygen concentration and fruit firmness appeared to be reduced in samples accumulating the highest levels of ethanol. The oxygen switch was effective in reducing the ethanol concentrations with timing­dependent variable effects. The expression of fermentative (alcohol dehydrogenase, lactate dehydroge‐nase, pyruvate decarboxylase) and sugar metabolism (β‐amylase; phosphofruc‐tokinase; sucrose synthase) genes resulted to be differently affected by the hypoxic conditions imposed, in particular during the early stages of storage. Sucrose synthase expression appeared to be highly sensitive to changes in low oxygen concentration. Ethylene biosynthesis (ACC synthase and oxidase) genes showed marked differences in their expression in relation to the static and dynamic protocols and the hypoxic conditions, as well as six Ethylene Responsive Factors (ERF) genes, some of them possibly involved in the oxygen sensing mechanism operating in fruit tissues

Visual scanning and reading ability in normal and dyslexic children

Abstract. Very few studies have investigated the development of visual search of aligned stimuli in relation to normal reading acquisition and in developmental dyslexia. In this study we used a new computerised experimental task which requires a visuo-motor response (RT) to a target appearing unpredictably in one out of seven different spatial positions on a horizontally aligned array of 18 geometrical figures. The aims of the study were to investigate: 1) the visual scanning development in normal children from pre-school to school age; 2) whether visual scanning performance in kindergarten children could predict reading acquisition; 3) the visual scanning abilities in a group of developmental dyslexic children. The main results were: 1) a significant decrement of RTs with age and a progressive increase of the left-to-right gradient with reading experience; 2) visual scanning abilities in kindergarten proved to be a good predictor of reading acquisition; 3) dyslexics were slow scanners and did not present the left-to-right strategy typical of normal readers. The results support the hypothesis of a relationship between visual scanning and reading abilities

Photocouplings of nucleon resonances with gluon and pion exchange currents

Photocouplings for the nucleon resonances most relevant to total photoabsorption are calculated in a constituent quark model including gluon and pion exchange. The sensitivity of the results to the different ingredients of the model is discussed.Comment: 23 pages including 9 tables, LaTe

Alternatively Activated (M2) Macrophage Phenotype Is Inducible by Endothelin-1 in Cultured Human Macrophages.

Background Alternatively activated (M2) macrophages are phenotypically characterized by the expression of specific markers, mainly macrophage scavenger receptors (CD204 and CD163) and mannose receptor-1 (CD206), and participate in the fibrotic process by over-producing profibrotic molecules, such as transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFbeta1) and metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is implicated in the fibrotic process, exerting its profibrotic effects through the interaction with its receptors (ETA and ETB). The study investigated the possible role of ET-1 in inducing the transition from cultured human macrophages into M2 cells. Methods Cultured human monocytes (THP-1 cell line) were activated into macrophages (M0 macrophages) with phorbol myristate acetate and subsequently maintained in growth medium (M0-controls) or treated with either ET-1 (100nM) or interleukin-4 (IL-4, 10ng/mL, M2 inducer) for 72 hours. Similarly, primary cultures of human peripheral blood monocyte (PBM)-derived macrophages obtained from healthy subjects, were maintained in growth medium (untreated cells) or treated with ET-1 or IL-4 for 6 days. Both M0 and PBM-derived macrophages were pre-treated with ET receptor antagonist (ETA/BRA, bosentan 10-5M) for 1 hour before ET-1 stimulation. Protein and gene expression of CD204, CD206, CD163, TGFbeta1 were analysed by immunocytochemistry, Western blotting and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Gene expression of interleukin(IL)-10 and macrophage derived chemokine (CCL-22) was evaluated by qRT-PCR. MMP-9 production was investigated by gel zymography. Results ET-1 significantly increased the expression of M2 phenotype markers CD204, CD206, CD163, IL-10 and CCL-22, and the production of MMP-9 in both cultures of M0 and PBMderived macrophages compared to M0-controls and untreated cells. In cultured PBMderived macrophages, ET-1 increased TGFbeta1 protein and gene expression compared to untreated cells. The ET-1-mediated effects were contrasted by ETA/BRA treatment in both cultured cell types. Conclusion ET-1 seems to induce the M2 phenotype in cultured human macrophages, a process apparently contrasted by the action of the ETA/BRA, suggesting possible clinical implications in those fibrotic diseases characterized by increased ET-1 concentrations, such as systemic sclerosis but also type 2 diabetes