Simulated fuel assembly Patent

Simulated fuel assembly-type flow measurement apparatus for coolant flow in reactor cor

Insight into CO2 dissociation in plasmas from numerical solution of a vibrational diffusion equation

The dissociation of CO2 molecules in plasmas is a subject of enormous importance for fundamental studies and the recent interest in carbon capture and carbon-neutral fuels. The vibrational excitation of the CO2 molecule plays an important role in the process. The complexity of the present state-to-state (STS) models makes it difficult to find out the key parameters. In this paper we propose as an alternative a numerical method based on the diffusion formalism developed in the past for analytical studies. The non-linear Fokker-Planck equation is solved by the time-dependent diffusion Monte Carlo method. Transport quantities are calculated from STS rate coefficients. The asymmetric stretching mode of CO2 is used as a test case. We show that the method reproduces the STS results or a Treanor distribution depending on the choice of the boundary conditions. A positive drift, whose energy onset is determined by the vibrational to translational temperature ratio, brings molecules from mid-energy range to dissociation. The high-energy fall of the distribution is observed even neglecting VT processes which are normally believed to be its cause. Our study explains several puzzling features of previous studies, provides new insights into the control of the dissociation rate and a much sought compression of the required data for modeling

Temperature uniformity in cross-flow double-layered microchannel heat sinks

An in-house finite element method (FEM) procedure is used to carry out a numerical study on the thermal behavior of cross-flow double-layered microchannel heat sinks with an unequal number of microchannels in the two layers. The thermal performance is compared with those yielded by other more conventional flow configurations. It is shown that if properly designed, i.e., with several microchannels in the top layer smaller than that in the bottom layer, cross-flow double-layered microchannel heat sinks can provide an acceptable thermal resistance and a reasonably good temperature uniformity of the heated base with a header design that is much simpler than that required by the counter-flow arrangement

Pose consensus based on dual quaternion algebra with application to decentralized formation control of mobile manipulators

This paper presents a solution based on dual quaternion algebra to the general problem of pose (i.e., position and orientation) consensus for systems composed of multiple rigid-bodies. The dual quaternion algebra is used to model the agents' poses and also in the distributed control laws, making the proposed technique easily applicable to time-varying formation control of general robotic systems. The proposed pose consensus protocol has guaranteed convergence when the interaction among the agents is represented by directed graphs with directed spanning trees, which is a more general result when compared to the literature on formation control. In order to illustrate the proposed pose consensus protocol and its extension to the problem of formation control, we present a numerical simulation with a large number of free-flying agents and also an application of cooperative manipulation by using real mobile manipulators

Dietary modifications for infantile colic

Infantile colic can be defined as periods of inconsolable, unexplained, and incessant crying in a seemingly healthy infant that, quite understandably, leads to exhausted, frustrated, and concerned parents seeking to comfort their child (Landgren 2010). The prevalence of excessive crying varies according to the definition used although, most often, it peaks during the second month of life,with a prevalence of 1.5%to 11.9%(Reijneveld 2001).Traditionally, the definition of the condition was based on the rule of three (Wessel 1954): that is, unexplained episodes of paroxysmal crying for more than three hours per day, for three days per week, for at least three weeks. More recently a new definition has been proposed. It refers to a clinical condition of fussing and crying for at least one week in an otherwise healthy infant (Hyman 2006). Colic can be graded as mild, moderate, or severe, though there is no consensus for this classification. Colic can affect up to 10% to 30% of infants worldwide (Clifford 2002; Rosen 2007)

A Novel Survey Tool to Quantify the Degree and Duration of STEMI Regionalization Across California.

IntroductionCalifornia has been a global leader in regionalization efforts for time-critical medical conditions. A total of 33 local emergency medical service agencies (LEMSAs) exist, providing an organized EMS framework across the state for almost 40 years. We sought to develop a survey tool to quantify the degree and duration of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) regionalization over the last decade in California.MethodsThe project started with the development of an 8-question survey tool via a multi-disciplinary expert consensus process. Next, the survey tool was distributed at the annual meeting of administrators and medical directors of California LEMSAs to get responses valid through December, 2014. The first scoring approach was the Total Regionalization Score (TRS) and used answers from all 8 questions. The second approach was called the Core Score, and it focused on only 4 survey questions by assuming that the designation of STEMI Receiving Centers must have occurred at the beginning of any LEMSA's regionalization effort. Scores were ranked and grouped into tertiles.ResultsAll 33 LEMSAs in California participated in this survey. The TRS ranged from 15 to 162. The Core Score range was much narrower, from 2 to 30. In comparing TRS and Core Score rankings, the top-tertiles were quite similar. More rank variation occurred between mid- and low-tertiles.ConclusionThis study evaluated the degree and duration of STEMI network regionalization from 2004 to 2014 in California, and ranked 33 LEMSAs into tertiles based upon their TRS and their Core Score. Successful application of the 8-item survey and ranking strategies across California suggests that this approach can be used to assess regionalization in other states or countries around the world

Biokemijske promjene u serumu pokusno invadiranih malih istočnoafričkih koza protozoima Trypanosoma congolense i Trypanosoma brucei.

Serum biochemical changes in goats challenged with either Trypanosoma congolense or Trypanosoma brucei and uninfected controls were investigated. Experimental goats received a primary trypanosome challenge on day 0, treated with diminazene aceturate on day 49 and received a secondary trypanosome challenge on day 77 of the 136-day experiment. Infection was associated with development of anaemia, hypoproteinaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, hypocholesteraemia, low density and high density hypolipidaemia. In both the primary and secondary challenges, however, serum free fatty acid concentrations were significantly higher than those of the controls. These changes suggest that the growing numbers of trypanosomes post-infection in goats require some lipids and proteins to support their growth, while the higher free fatty acid concentration observed may directly contribute to the development of anaemia as free fatty acids are known to be potentially cytotoxic and haemolytic in vitro.Istražene su promjene u vrijednostima serumskih biokemijskih odrednica koza invadiranih protozoima Trypanosoma congolense ili Trypanosoma brucei u odnosu na kontrolnu skupinu. Koze su bile invadirane tripanosomama nultog dana te liječene 49. dana diminazenovim aceturatom. Reinvazije su uslijedile 77. dana i 136. dana pokusa. U invadiranih koza zabilježena je anemija, hipoproteinemija, hipoalbuminemija, hipolipidemija i hipokolesteremija. Nakon prve i druge invazije u invadiranih koza zabilježene su i više vrijednosti serumskih slobodnih masnih kiselina u odnosu na kontrolu. Dobivene promjene ukazuju da tripanosome za proliferaciju trebaju lipide i proteine. Visoka koncentracija slobodnih masnih kiselina može se dovesti u vezu s razvojem anemije s obzirom da je dobro poznat njihov citotoksični i citolitički učinak in vitro

Low-gravity experiments of lightweight flexible heat pipe panels with self-rewetting fluids

Abstract. Fluids with a unique surface tension behavior, the so-called "self-rewetting fluids," are considered to be promising working fluids not only in reduced-gravity environments but also in terrestrial applications. Ultralightweight polyimide-based wickless heat pipe panels with flexible, inflatable, and deployable functions were fabricated using self-rewetting fluids. Fundamental operation tests of these panels were conducted under conditions of reduced gravity during parabolic flight. We obtained promising experimental results on the thermal performance of the panels in reduced gravity, although the experimental conditions were not entirely satisfactory