NONDISTRUCTIVE TESTING INSTRUMENT OF DISHED Nb SHEETS FOR SRF CAVITIES BASED ON SQUID TECHNOLOGY

Abstract The performance of superconducting RF cavities used in accelerators can be enhanced by detecting micro particles and inclusions which are the most serious source of performance degradation. These defects prevent the cavities from reaching the highest possible accelerating fields. We have developed a SQUID scanning system based on eddy current technique that allows the scanning of curved Nb samples. This SQUID scanning system successfully located Tantalum defects about 100 zm diameter in a flat Nb sample and was able to also locate the defects in a cylindrical surface sample. Most importantly, however, the system successfully located the defects on the backside of the flat sample and curved sample, both 3-mm thick. This system can be used for the inspection and detection of such defects during SRF cavity manufacturing

Does supplementation with leucine-enriched protein alone and in combination with fish-oil-derived n–3 PUFA affect muscle mass, strength, physical performance, and muscle protein synthesis in well-nourished older adults? A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

peer-reviewedBackground Leucine-enriched protein (LEU-PRO) and long-chain (LC) n–3 (ω–3) PUFAs have each been proposed to improve muscle mass and function in older adults, whereas their combination may be more effective than either alone. Objective The impact of LEU-PRO supplementation alone and combined with LC n–3 PUFAs on appendicular lean mass, strength, physical performance and myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) was investigated in older adults at risk of sarcopenia. Methods This 24-wk, 3-arm parallel, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in 107 men and women aged ≥65 y with low muscle mass and/or strength. Twice daily, participants consumed a supplement containing either LEU-PRO (3 g leucine, 10 g protein; n = 38), LEU-PRO plus LC n–3 PUFAs (0.8 g EPA, 1.1 g DHA; LEU-PRO+n–3; n = 38), or an isoenergetic control (CON; n = 31). Appendicular lean mass, handgrip strength, leg strength, physical performance, and circulating metabolic and renal function markers were measured pre-, mid-, and postintervention. Integrated rates of MyoPS were assessed in a subcohort (n = 28). Results Neither LEU-PRO nor LEU-PRO+n–3 supplementation affected appendicular lean mass, handgrip strength, knee extension strength, physical performance or MyoPS. However, isometric knee flexion peak torque (treatment effect: −7.1 Nm; 95% CI: −12.5, −1.8 Nm; P < 0.01) was lower postsupplementation in LEU-PRO+n–3 compared with CON. Serum triacylglycerol and total adiponectin concentrations were lower, and HOMA-IR was higher, in LEU-PRO+n–3 compared with CON postsupplementation (all P < 0.05). Estimated glomerular filtration rate was higher and cystatin c was lower in LEU-PRO and LEU-PRO+n–3 postsupplementation compared with CON (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Contrary to our hypothesis, we did not observe a beneficial effect of LEU-PRO supplementation alone or combined with LC n–3 PUFA supplementation on appendicular lean mass, strength, physical performance or MyoPS in older adults at risk of sarcopenia. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03429491.Horizon 2020 Framework ProgrammeThis work was supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Food Institutional Research Measure grant entitled NUTRIMAL “Novel Nutritional Solutions for the Prevention of Malnutrition” (grant 14F822), the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 666010, and a Research Fellowship awarded to CHM by the European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN). HMR was supported by funding from the Joint Programming Initiative Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life (JPI HDHL) EU Food Biomarkers Alliance “FOODBAll” with Science Foundation Ireland (14/JPHDHL/B3076)

The effects of β1-adrenergic blockade on cardiovascular oxygen flow in normoxic and hypoxic humans at exercise

Patients:6 healthy subjects mean age 25.5 years were studied.TypeofStudy:This study determined the effects of selective beta-adrenergic blockade with Lopresor on the oxygen flow in arterial blood (Q̇aO2) and oxygen flow in mixed venous blood (oxygen return, Q̇v̄O2) in humans exercising in normoxia and in acute normobaric hypoxia.DosageDuration:Initially 7.5 mg iv bolus; additional doses up to 30-40 mg until a quasi-complete receptor blockade was achieved.Results:Without Lopresor, PaO2 and PaCO2 were lower in hypoxia than in normoxia. In both hypoxia and normoxia conditions, Lopresor did not induce significant differences in PaO2 and PaCO2 with respect to control condition. Arterialized blood pH was higher in hypoxia than in normoxia and was unaffected by Lopresor. [La]b was higher in hypoxia than in normoxia and was unaffected by Lopresor. The highest [La]b values were observed at 150 W in hypoxia. Without Lopresor the fH, SV, Q̇ and Q̇aO2 increased significantly at exercise in both normoxia and in hypoxia. fH was systematically and significantly higher in hypoxia than in normoxia at each workload. SaO2 and CaO2 were lower in hypoxia than in normoxia. In hypoxia, they also decreased with increasing workload. As a result of this, and despite the lower arterial-venous O2 differences in hypoxia, the O2 extraction coefficient was greater in hypoxia than in normoxia. In normoxia the difference between Q̇aO2 and V̇02 (=Q̇V̄O2) did not change with increasing workload. In hypoxia, Q̇V̄O2 decreased as a function of workload. The resting Q̇v̄O2 value in normoxia was significantly lower than the corresponding invariant values at exercise. In hypoxia the resting Q̇V̄O2 value did not differ significantly from the corresponding value in normoxia. However, the Q̇V̄O2 values at 100 and 150 power (W) in C were significantly lower than the corresponding values in normoxia. With Lopresor, the fH, SV, Q̇, and Q̇aO2 increased significantly during exercised in both normoxia and hypoxia conditions. At rest and at each workload, Lopresor systematically and significantly decreased fH, both in normoxia and in hypoxia. The lower fH at any given V̇O2 implied a significant increase in the oxygen pulse with Lopresor. Q̇ values were found significantly higher at each fH level under Lopresor in hypoxia than in normoxia as a consequence of increased SV. SV values were significantly higher under Lopresor than in control condition in both normoxia and hypoxia. In normoxia, Q̇ was significantly decreased by Lopresor at 100 power (W) exercise and above, and in hypoxia at rest and at 50 W. As in control condition, SaO2 and CaO2 were lower in hypoxia than in normoxia. In hypoxia they also decreased with increasing workload. In both conditions the values observed under Lopresor were not significantly different from those found in control condition. The Q̇v̄O2 decrease as a function of workload in hypoxia paralleled an analogous decrease in SaO2.AdverseEffects:No adverse events were mentionedAuthorsConclusions:The results of the present study are in agreement with the tested hypothesis, as this study showed that selective blockade of beta1-adrenergic receptors decreased Q̇aO2 and Q̇v̄O2 significantly during exercise in normoxia as well as during rest and light exercise in hypoxia.FreeText:Experiments were performed in normoxia and in acute normobaric hypoxia. In both conditions the subjects performed two incremental exercise tests, one without Lopresor and one after having induced quasi-complete beta-adrenergic blockade with Lopresor. Tests: oxygen consumption (V̇O2), carbon dioxide output (V̇CO2), expired ventilation (V̇E), heart rate (fH, electrocardiography), SaO2 (oximetry), hemoglobin (Hb), blood lactate concentration ([La]b), cardiac output (Q̇), stroke volume (SV), arterialized blood carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO2), and arterialized blood oxygen partial pressure (PaO2)