Turbulator for a liner cooling jacket

A turbulator for a liner cooling jacket includes a metal panel which is suitable to be coiled into a generally cylindrical shape so as to be placed in a relief area between an engine cylinder block and a cylinder liner. The relief area may be machined into either the block or the cylinder liner and the metal panel is formed with a pattern of protuberances shaped like corrugations. In one embodiment, the corrugations have a shape similar to a sine wave and are arranged in a plurality of generally parallel axial segments. The corrugation wave pattern of one segment may be the same as its adjacent segment or may be staggered by one corrugation which would mean one-half of a full wave cycle. The corrugation pattern in the turbulator panel may be created by any one of various stamping or forming operations and when placed between the cylinder liner and block, increases turbulence of the cooling liquid in order to enhance heat transfer

Rapid changes in public perception toward a conservation initiative

Rapid, widespread changes in public perceptions and behaviors have the potential to influence conservation outcomes. However, few studies have documented whether and how such shifts occur throughout the span of a conservation initiative. We examined the 2020 ballot initiative to reintroduce wolves into Colorado, which passed with less support than prior surveys had estimated. We conducted a postelection survey of Colorado residents using the same methods as our preelection survey to compare responses between surveys and to official election results. Reported voting in favor of wolf reintroduction in the postelection survey decreased in comparison to voting intentions shared in the preelection survey, but not enough to reflect the actual vote. While bias from survey methods and/or sampling contributed to differences, we also found evidence that public perception changed. Specifically, beliefs about the potential for negative impacts of wolves increased, while beliefs about the potential for positive impacts of wolves decreased. Our findings highlight the need to conduct longitudinal monitoring of public perception given perceptions may be highly fluid as different entities attempt to sway voters. In addition, to better understand evolving perceptions, survey methods and sampling need to be improved

7-day weighed food diaries suggest patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia may spontaneously modify their diet to avoid nosebleed precipitants

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) poses substantial burdens due to nosebleeds and iron deficiency resulting from recurrent hemorrhagic iron losses. Recent studies by our group found surprising links between HHT nosebleeds and certain food groups. In this letter, we report 7-day weighed food diary assessments of an unselected group of 25 UK patients with HHT whose nosebleeds ranged from mild to severe (median epistaxis severity score 4.66, range 0.89– 9.11). The diaries provide evidence that food items most commonly reported to provoke nosebleeds were ingested by fewer HHT patients, compared to food items less commonly reported to provoke nosebleeds (chi-squared p <0.001)

Hemorrhage-Adjusted Iron Requirements, Hematinics and Hepcidin Define Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia as a Model of Hemorrhagic Iron Deficiency

BACKGROUND: Iron deficiency anemia remains a major global health problem. Higher iron demands provide the potential for a targeted preventative approach before anemia develops. The primary study objective was to develop and validate a metric that stratifies recommended dietary iron intake to compensate for patient-specific non-menstrual hemorrhagic losses. The secondary objective was to examine whether iron deficiency can be attributed to under-replacement of epistaxis (nosebleed) hemorrhagic iron losses in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The hemorrhage adjusted iron requirement (HAIR) sums the recommended dietary allowance, and iron required to replace additional quantified hemorrhagic losses, based on the pre-menopausal increment to compensate for menstrual losses (formula provided). In a study population of 50 HHT patients completing concurrent dietary and nosebleed questionnaires, 43/50 (86%) met their recommended dietary allowance, but only 10/50 (20%) met their HAIR. Higher HAIR was a powerful predictor of lower hemoglobin (p = 0.009), lower mean corpuscular hemoglobin content (p<0.001), lower log-transformed serum iron (p = 0.009), and higher log-transformed red cell distribution width (p<0.001). There was no evidence of generalised abnormalities in iron handling Ferritin and ferritin(2) explained 60% of the hepcidin variance (p<0.001), and the mean hepcidinferritin ratio was similar to reported controls. Iron supplement use increased the proportion of individuals meeting their HAIR, and blunted associations between HAIR and hematinic indices. Once adjusted for supplement use however, reciprocal relationships between HAIR and hemoglobin/serum iron persisted. Of 568 individuals using iron tablets, most reported problems completing the course. For patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, persistent anemia was reported three-times more frequently if iron tablets caused diarrhea or needed to be stopped. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: HAIR values, providing an indication of individuals' iron requirements, may be a useful tool in prevention, assessment and management of iron deficiency. Iron deficiency in HHT can be explained by under-replacement of nosebleed hemorrhagic iron losses

A Mosaic Activating Mutation in AKT1 Associated with the Proteus Syndrome

BACKGROUND The Proteus syndrome is characterized by the overgrowth of skin, connective tissue, brain, and other tissues. It has been hypothesized that the syndrome is caused by somatic mosaicism for a mutation that is lethal in the nonmosaic state. METHODS We performed exome sequencing of DNA from biopsy samples obtained from patients with the Proteus syndrome and compared the resultant DNA sequences with those of unaffected tissues obtained from the same patients. We confirmed and extended an observed association, using a custom restriction-enzyme assay to analyze the DNA in 158 samples from 29 patients with the Proteus syndrome. We then assayed activation of the AKT protein in affected tissues, using phosphorylation-specific antibodies on Western blots. RESULTS Of 29 patients with the Proteus syndrome, 26 had a somatic activating mutation (c.49G -> A, p.Glu17Lys) in the oncogene AKT1, encoding the AKT1 kinase, an enzyme known to mediate processes such as cell proliferation and apoptosis. Tissues and cell lines from patients with the Proteus syndrome harbored admixtures of mutant alleles that ranged from 1% to approximately 50%. Mutant cell lines showed greater AKT phosphorylation than did control cell lines. A pair of single-cell clones that were established from the same starting culture and differed with respect to their mutation status had different levels of AKT phosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS The Proteus syndrome is caused by a somatic activating mutation in AKT1, proving the hypothesis of somatic mosaicism and implicating activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway in the characteristic clinical findings of overgrowth and tumor susceptibility in this disorder. (Funded by the Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute.

Kinetic constraints on the In-situ remediation of soils contaminated with organic chemicals.

Cleanup of contaminated soils to comply with soil quality limits currently receives much interest.In-situ remediation of contaminated soils relies on the ability of the techniques employed to enhance the rate of release of contaminants from the soil-sorbed and nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) phases into the aqueous or gaseous phases from which they can be more readily removed and treated. Contaminant concentrations in these “environmentally mobile” forms usually decline over time so that the economic efficiency and the overall success of remediation technologies are subject to the “law of diminishing returns”. In this paper we consider the “state of the art” in our understanding of NAPL dissolution and transport, desorption of soilsorbed contaminants and fluid flow in porous media. The extent to which these processes may constrain the success of bioremediation, pump-and-treat remediation and soil venting in relation to established soil quality limits is addressed. Finally, we suggest directions for future research and comment on legislative considerations

Endogenous Retinoids in the Pathogenesis of Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease that attacks anagen hair follicles. Gene array in graft-induced C3H/HeJ mice revealed that genes involved in retinoic acid (RA) synthesis were increased, while RA degradation genes were decreased in AA compared to sham controls. This was confirmed by immunohistochemistry in biopsies from patients with AA and both mouse and rat AA models. RA levels were also increased in C3H/HeJ mice with AA. C3H/HeJ mice were fed a purified diet containing one of four levels of dietary vitamin A or an unpurified diet two weeks before grafting and disease progression followed. High vitamin A accelerated AA, while mice fed no vitamin A had more severe disease by the end of the study. More hair follicles were in anagen in mice fed high vitamin A. Both the number and localization of granzyme B positive cells were altered by vitamin A. IFNG was also lowest and IL13 highest in mice fed high vitamin A. Other cytokines were reduced and chemokines increased as the disease progressed, but no additional effects of vitamin A were seen. Combined, these results suggest that vitamin A regulates both the hair cycle and immune response to alter the progression of AA