Radiation environment along the INTEGRAL orbit measured with the IREM monitor

The INTEGRAL Radiation Environment Monitor (IREM) is a payload supporting instrument on board the INTEGRAL satellite. The monitor continually measures electron and proton fluxes along the orbit and provides this information to the spacecraft on board data handler. The mission alert system broadcasts it to the payload instruments enabling them to react accordingly to the current radiation level. Additionally, the IREM conducts its autonomous research mapping the Earth radiation environment for the space weather program. Its scientific data are available for further analysis almost without delay.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in A+A letter

Curie Point Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography

In Curie Point pyrolysis gas chromatography a ferromagnetic conductor in contact with the sample is heated inside a low volume glass capillary which is inserted into an rf coil with the carrier gas flowing through the capillary. The intrinsic properties of the conductor permit a self-control of the temperature to the Curie Point. The optimum wire diameter for a rapid warm-up is a function of the rf frequency. In order to have a fast temperature drop after cutting the rf field, small wire diameters are preferable. For such conductors relatively high frequencies are inherently necessary for a fast stabilization to the Curie Point. So far no differences in the self-controlled end-temperatures have been detected for wires of different origi

Alpine vascular plant species richness: the importance of daily maximum temperature and pH

Species richness in the alpine zone varies dramatically when communities are compared. We explored (i) which stress and disturbance factors were highly correlated with species richness, (ii) whether the intermediate stress hypothesis (ISH) and the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) can be applied to alpine ecosystems, and (iii) whether standing crop can be used as an easily measurable surrogate for causal factors determining species richness in the alpine zone. Species numbers and standing crop were determined in 14 alpine plant communities in the Swiss Alps. To quantify the stress and disturbance factors in each community, air temperature, relative air humidity, wind speed, global radiation, UV-B radiation, length of the growing season, soil suction, pH, main soil nutrients, waterlogging, soil movement, number of avalanches, level of denudation, winter dieback, herbivory, wind damage, and days with frost were measured or observed. The present study revealed that 82% of the variance in␣vascular species richness among sites could be explained by just two abiotic factors, daily maximum temperature and soil pH. Daily maximum temperature and pH affect species richness both directly and via their effects on other environmental variables. Some stress and disturbance factors were related to species richness in a monotonic way, others in an unimodal way. Monotonic relationships suggest that the harsher the environment is, the fewer species can survive in such habitats. In cases of unimodal relationships (ISH and IDH) species richness decreases at both ends of the gradients due to the harsh environment and/or the interaction of other environmental factors. Competition and disturbance seemed only to play a secondary role in the form of fine-tuning species richness in specific communities. Thus, we concluded that neither the ISH nor the IDH can be considered useful conceptual models for the alpine zone. Furthermore, we found that standing crop can be used as an easily measurable surrogate for causal factors determining species richness in the alpine zone, even though there is no direct causalit

A numerical investigation on the vortex formation and flow separation of the oscillatory flow in jet pumps

A two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model is used to predict the oscillatory flow through a tapered cylindrical tube section (jet pump) placed in a larger outer tube. Due to the shape of the jet pump, there will exist an asymmetry in the hydrodynamic end effects which will cause a time-averaged pressure drop to occur that can be used to cancel Gedeon streaming in a closed-loop thermoacoustic device. The performance of two jet pump geometries with different taper angles is investigated. A specific time-domain impedance boundary condition is implemented in order to simulate traveling acoustic wave conditions. It is shown that by scaling the acoustic displacement amplitude to the jet pump dimensions, similar minor losses are observed independent of the jet pump geometry. Four different flow regimes are distinguished and the observed flow phenomena are related to the jet pump performance. The simulated jet pump performance is compared to an existing quasi-steady approximation which is shown to only be valid for small displacement amplitudes compared to the jet pump length.Comment: The following article has been accepted by the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. After it is published, it will be found at: http://scitation.aip.org/JAS

Jet pumps for thermoacoustic applications: design guidelines based on a numerical parameter study

The oscillatory flow through tapered cylindrical tube sections (jet pumps) is characterized by a numerical parameter study. The shape of a jet pump results in asymmetric hydrodynamic end effects which cause a time-averaged pressure drop to occur under oscillatory flow conditions. Hence, jet pumps are used as streaming suppressors in closed-loop thermoacoustic devices. A two-dimensional axisymmetric computational fluid dynamics model is used to calculate the performance of a large number of conical jet pump geometries in terms of time-averaged pressure drop and acoustic power dissipation. The investigated geometrical parameters include the jet pump length, taper angle, waist diameter and waist curvature. In correspondence with previous work, four flow regimes are observed which characterize the jet pump performance and dimensionless parameters are introduced to scale the performance of the various jet pump geometries. The simulation results are compared to an existing quasi-steady theory and it is shown that this theory is only applicable in a small operation region. Based on the scaling parameters, an optimum operation region is defined and design guidelines are proposed which can be directly used for future jet pump design.Comment: The following article has been accepted by the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. After it is published, it will be found at http://scitation.aip.org/JAS

Angiotensin-Induced Growth Related Metabolism Is Activated in Cultured Smooth Muscle Cells From Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats and Wistar-Kyoto Rats

Smooth muscle cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) proliferate in culture faster than those isolated from sex- and age-matched Wistar- Kyoto (WKY) animals. There was no difference in the kinetics of S6 kinase activation in the two cultures, but later metabolic events associated with proliferation were stimulated earlier in SHR cells than in WKY, eg, activation of ornithine decarboxylase. Both cell types elaborated an extensive extracellular matrix in culture composed of a different blend of connective tissue macromolecules. Matrix material from SHR cells was more stimulatory to growth of WKY cultures than their own matrices. Angiotensin stimulated the growth and synthesis of extra-cellular matrix material in SHR more than in WKY derived vascular smooth muscle cell cul-tures. Am J Hypertens 1991;4:183-18

Endorthelium-modulated proliferation of medial smooth muscle cells: influence of angiotensin II and converting enzyme inhibition

This study investigated the role of the endothelium and angiotensin II (Ang II) in regulating medial smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation. [3II]-thymidine incorporation into medial SMC of rat arteries was examined in vivo, using ballooned rat carotid arteries, as well as in vitro, using cultures of aortic tissue rings (organoids). In vivo, maximal medial [3H]-thymidine incorporation occurred within 3 days post-ballooning. In endothelium-denuded organoids, maximum medial DNA synthesis was achieved after 7 days of culture. [3H]-thymidine-labelling of SMC in intact organoids (with endothelium) increased minimally during culture, indicating that the endothelium provided protection with respect to medial proliferation under basal conditions (culture in the presence of 1% plasma-derived serum). Inclusion of 10−7 M Ang-II significantly elevated medial [3H] thymidine incorporation above that in control cultures. The stimulatory effect of Ang II was much more pronounced in intact organoids than in endothelium-denuded organoids, indicating synergistic growth regulation by Ang II and endothelium-derived factors. When organoids were cultured in the combined presence of Ang II and the ACE inhibitor cilazaprilat, labelling indices of intact organoids were also significantly increased above control, but to a lower level than those obtained in the presence of Ang II alone. However, for endothelium-denuded organoids, medial [3H]-thymidine incorporation in the combined presence of Ang II and cilazaprilat was not significantly different from that in untreated controls. Thus, cilazaprilat exerts both endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent negative regulatory effects on medial SMC proliferatio

Calcium antagonist induced vasodilation in peripheral, coronary and cerebral vasculature as important factors in the treatment of elderly hypertensives

Increased arteriolar tone is the pathophysiological hallmark of essential hypertension and is determined by the intracellular free calcium concentration in the vascular smooth muscle cell. Calcium influx is an important determinant of vasoconstriction and excess calcium influx-dependent vasoconstriction has been shown by plethysmographical studies in patients with essential hypertension. Calcium antagonists acutely lower BP by reducing calcium influx, calcium concentration and peripheral resistance. The degree of the attendant sympathetic nerve reflex activation and counter-regulatory mechanisms determines the antihypertensive response of the individual. Chronic monotherapy with a calcium antagonist results in an antihypertensive response, which is directly related to the patient's age and pretreatment BP and indirectly related to plasma renin levels. The resulting reduction in after-load neither leads to reduced cerebral blood flow in hypertensive patients, nor aggravates congestive heart failure. Calcium antagonists are a useful alternative to diuretics, primarily in older patients with low renin levels, either alone or combined with any other antihypertensive drug, and provide effective and safe control of blood pressur

Criteria that influence the patient’s choice of maternity hospital

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