Method for thermally spraying crack-free mullite coatings on ceramic-based substrates

A process for depositing a mullite coating on a silicon-based material, such as those used to form articles exposed to high temperatures and including the hostile thermal environment of a gas turbine engine. The process is generally to thermally spray a mullite powder to form a mullite layer on a substrate, in which the thermal spraying process is performed so that the mullite powder absorbs a sufficient low level of energy from the thermal source to prevent evaporation of silica from the mullite powder. Processing includes deposition parameter adjustments or annealing to maintain or reestablish phase equilibrium in the mullite layer, so that through-thickness cracks in the mullite layer are avoided

Characterization of transverse plasma jet and its effects on ramp induced separation

Plasma synthetic jet actuator (PSJA), which produces pulsed jets, is used to control the shock wave boundary layer interaction at a compression ramp at Ma = 2.0. The flow topology of the wall transverse plasma jet (TPJ) from the PSJA is first visualized through particle laser scattering (PLS) photography. The PSJA aperture effect is also examined by comparing the jets out of the apertures of 1.2 mm and 2 mm respectively. The control effect is later investigated by both PLS and particle image velocimetry (PIV). Further, the interaction process between the TPJ and the ramp-induced separation is discussed. The results show that the flow is characterized by two typical structures: the jet plume and the trailing vortex structures similar as those produced in the wake of vortex generator. And the PSJA with larger jet aperture is found to generate a stronger jet plume and the trailing vortices with a deeper penetration. Moreover, the reduced interaction region is only observed with the wider aperture through PLS technique. For PIV measurement, some further evidence on the reduced separated flow is given. The vortex shedding in the velocity shear layer is enhanced by the jet plume and the trailing vortex structures. Subsequently, the reduction of the separation zone is revealed with the overall shear layer reduced, which indicates the momentum exchange between the shear layer and mainstream. At last, a conceptual model based on two typical structures is suggested to reveal the control process

Effects of Wax Impregnation on Contact Resistivity Between REBCO Tapes

Advances on no-insulation REBCO coil technology has made understanding and controlling contact resistivity increasingly im-portant. Praffin (wax) impregnation is a process that has been used for improving mechanical stability of insulated and no-insulation REBCO coils. Wax impregnation is beneficial in both no-insulation coils and insulated coils with additional copper sta-bilizer or multiple conductors. In the latter scenario, contact re-sistance between conductor and additional stabilizer is also im-portant. It is crucial to understand the effects of wax impregna-tion on contact resistivity (Rct). We designed and built an appa-ratus to use short REBCO samples which simulates the behavior of Rct in a pancake coil during the wax impregnation process. Rct was measured at 77 K before and after the wax impregnation. In addition, a single pancake coil was wound to test the effect of wax impregnation. This coil simulates the NHMFL 32 T magnet Coil A in winding stresses. Rct was measured at 77 K and 4.2 K before and after wax impregnation. We found that wax impregnation does not significantly change contact resistivity. This means that wax impregnation can be used in coils without compromising the current sharing ability between turns. The experimental process and results are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Advancements in the co-formulation of biologic therapeutics

Biologic therapeutics are the medicines of the future and are destined to transform the approaches by which the causes and symptoms of diseases are cured and alleviated. These approaches will be accelerated through the development of novel strategies that target multiple pharmacologically active sites using a combination of different biologics, or mixtures of biologics and small molecule therapeutics. However, for this potential to be realised, advancements in co-formulation strategies for biologic therapeutics must be established. This review describes the current and emerging developments within this field and highlights the challenges and potential solutions, that will pave-the-way towards their clinical translation

Consequences of climate change on food-energy-water systems in arid regions without agricultural adaptation, analyzed using FEWCalc and DSSAT

Effects of a changing climate on agricultural system productivity are poorly understood, and likely to be met with as yet undefined agricultural adaptations by farmers and associated business and governmental entities. The continued vitality of agricultural systems depends on economic conditions that support farmers’ livelihoods. Exploring the long-term effects of adaptations requires modeling agricultural and economic conditions to engage stakeholders upon whom the burden of any adaptation will rest. Here, we use a new freeware model FEWCalc (Food-Energy-Water Calculator) to project farm incomes based on climate, crop selection, irrigation practices, water availability, and economic adaptation of adding renewable energy production. Thus, FEWCalc addresses United Nations Global Sustainability Goals No Hunger and Affordable and Clean Energy. Here, future climate scenario impacts on crop production and farm incomes are simulated when current agricultural practices continue so that no agricultural adaptations are enabled. The model Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) with added arid-region dynamics is used to simulate agricultural dynamics. Demonstrations at a site in the midwest USA with 2008–2017 historical data and two 2018–2098 RCP climate scenarios provide an initial quantification of increased agricultural challenges under climate change, such as reduced crop yields and increased financial losses. Results show how this finding is largely driven by increasing temperatures and changed distribution of precipitation throughout the year. Without effective technological advances and operational and policy changes, the simulations show how rural areas could increasingly depend economically on local renewable energy, while agricultural production from arid regions declines by 50% or more

E2F1 Suppresses Oxidative Metabolism and Endothelial Differentiation of Bone Marrow Progenitor Cells

RATIONALE: The majority of current cardiovascular cell therapy trials use bone marrow progenitor cells (BM PCs) and achieve only modest efficacy; the limited potential of these cells to differentiate into endothelial-lineage cells is one of the major barriers to the success of this promising therapy. We have previously reported that the E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1) is a repressor of revascularization after ischemic injury. OBJECTIVE: We sought to define the role of E2F1 in the regulation of BM PC function. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ablation of E2F1 (E2F1 deficient) in mouse BM PCs increases oxidative metabolism and reduces lactate production, resulting in enhanced endothelial differentiation. The metabolic switch in E2F1-deficient BM PCs is mediated by a reduction in the expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 2; overexpression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 reverses the enhancement of oxidative metabolism and endothelial differentiation. Deletion of E2F1 in the BM increases the amount of PC-derived endothelial cells in the ischemic myocardium, enhances vascular growth, reduces infarct size, and improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest a novel mechanism by which E2F1 mediates the metabolic control of BM PC differentiation, and strategies that inhibit E2F1 or enhance oxidative metabolism in BM PCs may improve the effectiveness of cell therapy

The Knotted Protein UCH-L1 Exhibits Partially Unfolded Forms under Native Conditions that Share Common Structural Features with Its Kinetic Folding Intermediates.

The human ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase, UCH-L1, is an abundant neuronal deubiquitinase that is associated with Parkinson's disease. It contains a complex Gordian knot topology formed by the polypeptide chain alone. Using a combination of fluorescence-based kinetic measurements, we show that UCH-L1 has two distinct kinetic folding intermediates that are transiently populated on parallel pathways between the denatured and native states. NMR hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) experiments indicate the presence of partially unfolded forms (PUFs) of UCH-L1 under native conditions. HDX measurements as a function of urea concentration were used to establish the structure of the PUFs and pulse-labelled HDX NMR was used to show that the PUFs and the folding intermediates are likely the same species. In both cases, a similar stable core encompassing most of the central β-sheet is highly structured and α-helix 3, which is partially formed, packs against it. In contrast to the stable β-sheet core, the peripheral α-helices display significant local fluctuations leading to rapid exchange. The results also suggest that the main difference between the two kinetic intermediates is structure and packing of α-helices 3 and 7 and the degree of structure in β-strand 5. Together, the fluorescence and NMR results establish that UCH-L1 neither folds through a continuum of pathways nor by a single discrete pathway. Its folding is complex, the β-sheet core forms early and is present in both intermediate states, and the rate-limiting step which is likely to involve the threading of the chain to form the 52-knot occurs late on the folding pathway.This work was supported by the National Science Council (99-2911-I-007-034 and 104-2113-M-001-016), National Tsing Hua University and Academia Sinica, Taiwan. S.-T.D.H. was supported by a Career Development Award (CDA- 00025/2010-C) from the International Human Frontier Science Program. The NMR spectra were obtained at the NMR facility of the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge and at the Core Facility for Protein Structural Analysis, supported by the National Core Facility Program for Biotechnology, Taiwan.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2016.04.00

Relating agriculture, energy, and water decisions to farm incomes and climate projections using two freeware programs, FEWCalc and DSSAT

Context: The larger scale perspective of Integrated Assessment (IA) and smaller scale perspective of Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability (IAV) need to be bridged to design long-term solutions to agricultural problems that threaten agricultural production, rural economic viability, and global food supplies. FEWCalc (Food-Energy-Water Calculator) is a new freeware, agent-based model with the novel ability to project farm incomes based on crop selection, irrigation practices, groundwater availability, renewable energy investment, and historical and projected environmental conditions. FEWCalc is used to analyze the interrelated food, energy, water, and climate systems of Finney County, Kansas to evaluate consequences of choices currently available to farmers and resource managers. Objective: This article aims to evaluate local farmer choices of crops and renewable energy investment in the face of water resource limitations and global climate change. Metrics of the analysis include agricultural and renewable-energy production, farm income, and water availability and quality. The intended audience includes farmers, resource managers, and scientists focusing on food, energy, and water systems. Methods: Data derived from publicly available sources are used to support user-specified FEWCalc input values. DSSAT (Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer) with added arid-region dynamics is used to obtain simulated crop production and irrigation water demand for FEWCalc. Here, FEWCalc is used to simulate agricultural and energy production and farm income based on continuation of recent ranges of crop prices, farm expenses, and crop insurance; continuation of recent renewable-energy economics and government incentives; one of four climate scenarios, including General Circulation Model projections for Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5; and groundwater-supported irrigation and its limitations. Results and Conclusions: A 50-year (2018-2067) climate and groundwater availability projection process indicates possible trends of future crop yield, water utility, and farm income. The simulation during more wet years produces high crop production and slower depletion of groundwater, as expected. However, surprisingly, the simulations suggest that only the Drier Future scenario is commercially profitable, and this is because of reduced expenses for dryland farming. Although simulated income losses due to low crop production are ameliorated by the energy sector income and crop insurance, the simulation under climate change still produces the worst annual total income. Significance: FEWCalc addresses scientific, communication, and educational gaps between global- and local-scale FEW research communities and local stakeholders, affected by food, energy, water systems and their interactions by relating near-term choices to near- and long-term consequences. This analysis is needed to craft a more advantageous future