Optimal Inverse Method for Turbomachinery Design

An adjoint optimization method based on the solution of an inverse problem is proposed. In this formulation, the distributed control is a flow variable on the domain boundary, for example pressure. The adjoint formulation delivers the functional gradient with respect to such flow variable distribution, and a descent method can be used for optimization. The flow constraints are easily imposed in the parametrization of the controls, thus those problems with many strict constraints on the flow solution can be solved very efficiently. Conversely, the geometric constraints are imposed either by additional partial differential equations, or by penalization. Constraining the geometric solution, the classical limitations of the inverse problem design are overcome. Two examples pertaining to internal flows are give

Hollow vortices and wakes past Chaplygin cusps

By using analytic tools for 2D rotational inviscid flow, the stagnation points of Pocklington hollow vortices are replaced by Chaplygin cusps, that is, by regions of fluid at rest. By solidifying the bounding free streamlines, solid bodies are obtained along whose walls adverse pressure gradients are avoided. These results are relevant to the theory and practice of control of separated flow at high Reynolds number. Examples are presented pertinent to single bodies and cascade of bodies which trap hollow vortices or generate open hollow wake

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of In-111-DTPAGlu-G-CCK8 for cholecystokinin-B receptor imaging

Regulatory peptides and their analogs are being extensively investigated as radiopharmaceuticals for cancer imaging and therapy. Receptors of the cholecystokinin family have been shown to be overexpressed in different types of neuroendocrine tumors. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the cholecystokinin octapeptide amide (CCK8) peptide tagged with a diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid derivative (DTPAGlu) and to test whether a 111In-labeled conjugate (111In-DTPAGlu-G-CCK8, a derivative containing the chelating agent DTPAGlu bound through a glycine linker at the N-terminal end of the bioactive peptide CCK8) is suitable for cholecystokinin-B receptor (CCKBR) imaging. Methods: CCK8 was synthesized by solidphase techniques and covalently coupled to DTPAGlu through a glycine linker at its amino terminus. The compound was labeled with 111In. The radiochemical purity and stability of the compound were assessed by chromatographic methods. NIH-3T3 and A431 cells overexpressing CCKBR were used to characterize the in vitro properties of the compound. Nude mice bearing control and CCKBR-overexpressing A431 xenografts were used as an in vivo model. Results: DTPAGlu-G-CCK8 showed rapid and efficient labeling with 111In. The radiolabeled conjugate showed specific binding to both cell lines overexpressing CCKBR. Binding was saturable, with a dissociation constant of 20 nmol/L in both cell systems. Both cell lines showed internalization of the ligand after interaction with the receptor. Biodistribution studies showed rapid localization of 111In-DTPAGlu- G-CCK8 on CCKBR-overexpressing A431 xenografts that was severalfold higher than that on control tumors at all time points tested. Unbound activity showed rapid clearance of over 80% through the kidneys by 30 min after injection. The labeled peptide conjugate was very stable in serum but showed a rapid breakdown after injection. Incubation with kidney homogenates suggested that most breakdown occurred in the kidneys, favoring the clearance of unbound activity. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that the in vitro and in vivo characteristics of 111In-DTPAGlu-G-CCK8 are favorable for CCKBR imaging, as thepeptide shows high-affinity binding to the receptor, is internalized in CCKBR-expressing cells, and shows avid uptake in CCKBR-overexpressing xenografts, with rapid clearance of unbound radioactivity through the kidneys. Furthermore, the ease of synthesis, high labeling efficiency, and chemical stability of DTPAGlu make this chelating moiety an ideal candidate for widespread use in peptide radiolabeling for nuclear medicine applications

Vortex equilibrium in flows past bluff bodies

The equilibrium conditions of a point vortex in the separated flow past a locally deformed wall is studied in the framework of the two-dimensional potential flow. Equilibrium locations are represented as fixed points of the vortex Hamiltonian contour line map. Their pattern is ascribable to the Poincaré-Birkhoff fixed-point theorem. An ‘equilibrium manifold', representing the generalization of the Föppl curve for circular cylinders, is defined for arbitrary bodies. The property ∂ω/∂ψ ˜ =0 holds on it, with ψ ˜ being the stream function and ω the streamline slope of the pure potential flow. A ‘Kutta manifold' is defined as the locus of vortices in flows that separate at a prescribed point (Kutta condition). The existence of standing vortices that satisfy the Kutta condition is discussed for symmetric bodies. On the basis of an asymptotic expansion of the equilibrium manifold, Kutta manifold and body geometry, it is shown that different classes of symmetric bodies exist which are ranked by the number of allowable standing vortices that satisfy the Kutta conditio