Functional preservation of vascular smooth muscle tissue

The ionic and cellular feedback relationships operating to effect the vascular decompensatory modifications were examined to reveal procedures for implementing protective measures guarding against vascular collapse when returning from a weightless environment to that of the earth's gravity. The surgical procedures for preparing the rat cremaster, and the fixation methods are described. Abstracts of publications resulting from this research are included

Semi-Markov adjunction to the Computer-Aided Markov Evaluator (CAME)

The rule-based Computer-Aided Markov Evaluator (CAME) program was expanded in its ability to incorporate the effect of fault-handling processes into the construction of a reliability model. The fault-handling processes are modeled as semi-Markov events and CAME constructs and appropriate semi-Markov model. To solve the model, the program outputs it in a form which can be directly solved with the Semi-Markov Unreliability Range Evaluator (SURE) program. As a means of evaluating the alterations made to the CAME program, the program is used to model the reliability of portions of the Integrated Airframe/Propulsion Control System Architecture (IAPSA 2) reference configuration. The reliability predictions are compared with a previous analysis. The results bear out the feasibility of utilizing CAME to generate appropriate semi-Markov models to model fault-handling processes

Design and development of a novel upper-limb cycling prosthesis

The rise in popularity of the Paralympics in recent years has created a need for effective, low-cost sports-prosthetic devices for upper-limb amputees. There are various opportunities for lower-limb amputees to participate in cycling; however, there are only few options for those with upper-limb amputations. If the individual previously participated in cycling, a cycling-specific prosthesis could allow these activities to be integrated into rehabilitation methods. This article describes the processes involved with designing, developing and manufacturing such a prosthesis. The fundamental needs of people with upper-limb amputation were assessed and realised in the prototype of a transradial terminal device with two release mechanisms, including a sliding mechanism (for falls and minor collisions) and clamping mechanism (for head-on collisions). The sliding mechanism requires the rider to exert approximately 200 N, while the clamping mechanism requires about 700 N. The force ranges can be customised to match rider requirements. Experiments were conducted in a controlled environment to demonstrate stability of the device during normal cycling. Moreover, a volunteer test-rider was able to successfully activate the release mechanism during a simulated emergency scenario. The development of this prosthesis has the potential to enable traumatic upper-limb amputees to participate in cycling for rehabilitation or recreation

Modularised process-based modelling of phosphorus loss at farm and catchment scale

In recent years, a co-ordinated programme of data collection has resulted in the collation of sub-hourly time-series of hydrological, sediment and phosphorus loss data, together with soil analysis, cropping and management information for two small (< 200 ha) headwater agricultural catchments in the UK Midlands (Rosemaund, Herefordshire and Cliftonthorpe, Leicestershire). These data sets have allowed the dynamics of phosphorus loss to be characterised and the importance of both storm runoff and drainflow to be identified, together with incidental losses following manure and fertiliser additions in contributing to total annual loss. A modularised process-based model has been developed to represent current understanding of the dynamics of phosphorus loss. Modules describing runoff and sediment generation and associated phosphorus adsorption/desorption dynamics are described and tested. In the model, the effect of a growing crop on sediment detachment processes is represented and the stability of topsoil is considered so that, overall, the model is responsive to farm management factors. Importantly, using data sets available from national-scale survey programmes to estimate model parameters, a transferable approach is presented, requiring only sub-hourly rainfall data and field-specific landcover information for application of the model to new sites. Results from application of the model to the hydrological year 1998–99 are presented. Assessment of performance, which suggests that the timing of simulated responses is acceptable, has focused attention on quantifying landscape and in-stream retention and remobilisation processes.</b></p> <p style='line-height: 20px;'><b>Keywords: </b>phosphorus, erosion, process-based modelling, agricultur

Defect Detection and Imaging in Composite Structures Using Magnetostrictive Patch Transducers

The use of thin magnetostrictive patches to generate and detect guided waves within the composite samples is investigated for defect detection. This approach has been implemented using SH0 shear horizontal guided waves in both CFRP and GFRP plates. A magnetostrictive patch transducer was able to generate SH0 waves with known directional characteristics. The synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) was then used to reconstruct images of defects using multiple transmission and detection locations. The results for imaging defects in both types of material are presented.“NDTonAIR” Marie Skłodowska Curie Training Network in Non-Destructive Testing and Structural Health Monitoring of Aircraft structures (MSCA-ITN) under the action H2020-MSCA-ITN-2016- under Grant number 722134

Photo-cathodes for the CERN CLIC Test Facility

Since 1993 the CLIC Test Facility (CTF) has used laser-illuminated Tellurium Alkali photo-cathodes as intense electron sources (up to 50 nC in 10 ps), for the Drive Beam of a two-beam accelerator. These cathodes have been produced and tested in our photo­emission laboratory and transported under vacuum to the CTF. They are placed in a 3 GHz RF gun with a 100 MV/m electric field. This RF gun produces a train of 48 pulses, each of 13.4 nC charge and 10 ps length. The CTF Probe Beam has used air­transportable cesium iodide + germanium photo­cathodes in another RF gun, which produces a single pulse of the same duration but with only 1 nC charge. The optical damage threshold in the laser is the main limitation of energy available on the photo­cathode. From an operational point of view, the photo­cathode lifetime is defined to be the time during which the cathode is able to produce the nominal charge with the nominal laser energy. After having recalled the main characteristics of the photo-cathodes tested, this note describes in more detail the performa nce obtained in operation. The possibility of photo-cathode production at the RF gun in a simplified evaporation chamber will also be discussed

The Influence of Spatial Resolution due to Hot-Wire Sensors on Measurements in Wall-Bounded Turbulence.

Reassessment of compiled data reveal that recorded scatter in the hot-wire measured near-wall peak in viscous-scaled streamwise turbulence intensity is due in large part to the simultaneous competing effects of Reynolds number and viscous-scaled wire-length l ( lUt n, where l is the wirelength, Ut is friction velocity and n is kinematic viscosity). These competing factors can explain much of the disparity in existing literature, in particular explaining how previous studies have incorrectly concluded that the inner-scaled near-wall peak is independent of Re. We also investigate the appearance of the, so-called, ‘outerpeak’ in the broadband streamwise intensity, found by some researchers to occur within the log-region of high Reynolds number boundary layers. We show that this ‘outer-peak’ is most likely a symptom of attenuation of small-scales due to large l . Fully mapped energy spectra, obtained with two different l , are presented to demonstrate this phenomena. The spatial attenuation resulting from wires with large l effectively filters small-scale fluctuations from the recorded signal