Natural convection flow of air in an inclined open cavity

Consider natural convection flow in a two dimensional inclined open cavity for both transient and steady-state flow. The left hand vertical wall of cavity is heated and facing an opening. The top and bottom boundaries are insulated. Numerical solutions are obtained for the Navier-Stokes equations on a non-staggered grid using a finite volume scheme. Results are considered for a wide range of Rayleigh numbers varying from 10 5 to 10 10 with Prandtl number 0.7 and inclination angles from 10 ? to 90 ? . The flow is steady at the low Rayleigh number for all angles and becomes unsteady at the high Rayleigh number for all angles. The critical Rayleigh numbers for all angles are obtained and we show that the critical Rayleigh number decreases as the inclination angle increases

The Crack Development Due to Liquefaction of Sand Lenses During Earthquake Loading

The failure of sand lenses during earthquake loadings has caused many damages to the ground and yet its mechanism has not been investigated extensively. In this paper the results of an analytical studies involving the mechanism of crack development of a sand lens due to liquefaction, are presented. A single loose and saturated sand lens embedded inside a stiff clay deposit, which will liquefy due to the earthquake loading, is modeled by finite element method. The principles of fracture mechanics were used and the soil behavior was considered as a non-linear elasto-plastic material. The computer package of NISA was used and the failure mechanism of the lens was analysed by this package. Finally, the crack development and the angle of developed crack from the tip of the lens to the horizontal was calculated and discussed

Polypill for prevention of cardiovascular disease in an Urban Iranian population with special focus on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial within a cohort (PolyIran - Liver) – Study protocol

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is among the most common causes of mortality in all populations. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is a common finding in patients with CVD. Prevention of CVD in individual patients typically requires periodic clinical evaluation, as well as diagnosis and management of risk factors such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia. However, this is resource consuming and hard to implement, especially in developing countries. We designed a study to investigate the effects of a simpler strategy: a fixed-dose combination pill consisting of aspirin, valsartan, atorvastatin and hydrochlorthiazide (PolyPill) in an unselected group of persons aged over 50 years. Design: The PolyIran-Liver study was performed in Gonbad city as an open label pragmatic randomized controlled trial nested within the Golestan Cohort Study. We randomly selected 2,400 cohort study participants aged above 50 years, randomly assigned them to intervention or usual care and invited them to participate in an additional measurement study (if they met the eligibility criteria) to measure liver related outcomes. Those agreeing and randomized to the intervention arm were offered a daily single dose of PolyPill. We will follow participants for 5 years. The primary outcome is major cardiovascular events, secondary outcomes include all-cause mortality and liver related outcomes: liver stiffness and liver enzyme levels. Cardiovascular outcomes and mortality will be determined from the cohort study and liver-related outcomes in those consenting to follow up. Analysis will be by allocated group. Trial Status: Between October and December 2011, 1,320 intervention and 1,080 control participants were invited to participate in the additional measurement study. For all these participants, the major cardiovascular events will be determined using blind assessment of outcomes through the cohort study. In the intervention and control arms, 875 (66%) and 721 (67%) respectively, met the eligibility criteria and agreed to participate in the additional measurement study. Liver related outcomes will be measured in these participants. Of the 1,320 participants randomized to the intervention, 787 (60%) accepted the PolyPill. Conclusion: The PolyIran-liver urban study will provide us with important information on the effectiveness of PolyPill on major cardiovascular events, all-cause mortality and liver related outcomes. (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01245608). © 2015, Academy of Medical Sciences of I.R. Iran. All rights reserved

Evaluation of Antioxidant Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Aloe Vera Gel on the Stability of Soybean Oil

Introduction Oxidation of lipids results in changes that may affect the nutritional quality, wholesomeness, colour, flavour and texture of food. The aim of this study was to investigate the type and amount of phenolic compounds in ethanolic extract of aloe vera gel as a source of natural antioxidant and its effect on the oxidative stability of soybean oil.Using synthetic antioxidant due to the possibility of toxic and carcinogenic effects is limited. Thus, it is important to find an alternative to synthetic antioxidants by natural antioxidant. Different intrinsic and extrinsic factors may initiate the oxidation of lipids. The initial products of oxidation are tasteless and odorless and after degradation and production of secondary products, the off-flavors and off-odors will appeared in edible oils. This is a great concern in food industry, because it decreases the shelf life of food products. Free radicals are produced during chain reactions in lipid oxidation process. To avoid this, synthetic antioxidants are usually used which are sensible to heat and are hazardous to human health and may cause cancer. Polyphenols have antioxidant activity and absorb free radicals. Thus, the vegetable oils rich in polyphenols can affect human health. In this research, we aimed to investigate the application of natural extract of aloe vera gel as a natural antioxidant to avoid soy oil oxidation and to compare it with synthetic antioxidants.The rate of oxidation reaction can be delayed by adding antioxidants. Consumers today tend to use natural antioxidants instead of synthetics. The overall purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of adding ethanolic extract of aloe vera gel as natural antioxidant on improving the stability of soybean oil. Materials and Methods The compounds in ethanolic extract of aloe vera gel were determined using GC / MS. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by the method of DPPH. For this purpose, ethanolic extracts of aloe vera gel were added to soybean oil in four different concentrations (500, 1000, 1500, 2000 ppm) and peroxide value, acidity, thiobarbituric acid, total phenol, oxidative stability to Rancimat method, fatty acid profile and sensory evaluation were performed on soybean oil samples and compared with the control sample containing 120 ppm BHA and soybean oil sample without adding antioxidants during 30, 60 and 90 days of storage at 25 ° C. Results and Discussion The results showed that by increasing the concentration of aloe vera extracts from 500 to 2000 ppm, the oxidation rate decreases during 90 days of storage, the amount of peroxide, thiobarbituric acid and acidity of soybean oil containing 2000 ppm ethanolic extract of aloe vera gel was lower than the control sample containing 120 ppm BHA. The total phenol content and free radical scavenging and stability to oxidative degradation by Rancimat method in soybean oil sample containing 2000 ppm aloe vera ethanol extract was higher than soybean oil samples containing BHA120 ppm. Evaluation of sensory properties showed that no significant difference was observed between the sensory properties of the oil sample containing 2000 ppm ethanolic extract of aloe vera gel and the control soybean oil sample of BHA120 ppm. Conclusion Considering that the sample of soybean oil containing 2000 ppm ethanolic extract of aloe vera gel had higher phenol content and free radical scavenging and more antioxidant properties than the control sample, it did not differ significantly from the control sample. Qualitative and health properties were selected as the superior treatment. The results of this study showed that the ethanolic extract of aloe vera gel can be used as a natural antioxidant instead of conventional synthetic antioxidants in the oil industry and to prevent oxidative spoilage of the oil in a desirable way. Therefore, it might be employed as a natural antioxidant in foods, particularly those containing edible oils

Content analysis of secondary school chemistry textbooks based on components of resistance economy: Shannon Entropy Methodod

Background and Objectives:The present study aims to analyze the content of second grade chemistry textbooks based on the emphasis on the goals of resistance economy. Methods: The research method in this study was descriptive content analysis. In this study, after collecting quantitative data, Shannon entropy technique was used for anarysis. The statistical population of this study formed the content of all secondary high school chemistry textbooks. The sampling method in this study was census; Therefore, all second grade chemistry textbooks were analyzed. The registration unit in this study was the subject. In this study, the frequency of components and themes of resistance economy in chemistry curricula were examined. Findings: The findings of the content analysis showed that in secondary high school chemistry books, the most attention was paid to the goals of resistance economy in the field of consumption the field of skills and the field of production attitude. Conclusion: From the present study, it can be concluded that in the second grade chemistry textbooks, very little attention has been paid to the goals of the resistance economy. Also, in secondary school chemistry curricula, little attention has been paid to the goals and components of the resistance economy and the amount of attention to the goals of the resistance economy do not have a normal distribution and only some components of the resistance economy in the second secondary school (three dimensions and three areas) are consi dered

A Complex Multiphase DLA Associated with a Compact Group at z=2.431 Traces Accretion, Outflows, and Tidal Streams

As part of our program to identify host galaxies of known z=2-3 MgII absorbers with the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI), we discovered a compact group giving rise to a z=2.431 DLA with ultra-strong MgII absorption in quasar field J234628+124859. The group consists of four star-forming galaxies within 8-28 kpc and $v\sim40-340$ km s$^{-1}$ of each other, where tidal streams are weakly visible in deep HST imaging. The group geometric centre is D=25 kpc from the quasar (D=20-40 kpc for each galaxy). Galaxy G1 dominates the group ($1.66L_{\ast}$, ${\rm SFR}_{\rm FUV}=11.6$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$) while G2, G3, and G4 are less massive ($0.1-0.3L_{\ast}$, ${\rm SFR}_{\rm FUV}=1.4-2.0$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$). Using a VLT/UVES quasar spectrum covering the HI Lyman series and metal lines such as MgII, SiIII, and CIV, we characterised the kinematic structure and physical conditions along the line-of-sight with cloud-by-cloud multiphase Bayesian modelling. The absorption system has a total $\log(N(HI)/{\rm cm}^{-2})=20.53$ and an $N(HI)$-weighted mean metallicity of $\log(Z/Z_{\odot})=-0.68$, with a very large MgII linewidth of $\Delta v\sim700$ km s$^{-1}$. The highly kinematically complex profile is well-modelled with 30 clouds across low and intermediate ionisation phases with values ${13\lesssim\log(N(HI)/{\rm cm}^{-2})\lesssim20}$ and $-3\lesssim\log(Z/Z_{\odot})\lesssim1$. Comparing these properties to the galaxy properties, we infer a wide range of gaseous environments, including metal-rich outflows, metal-poor IGM accretion, and tidal streams from galaxy--galaxy interactions. This diversity of structures forms the intragroup medium around a complex compact group environment at the epoch of peak star formation activity. Surveys of low redshift compact groups would benefit from obtaining a more complete census of this medium for characterising evolutionary pathways.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS 28 June 202

Static and vibration analysis of functionally graded beams using refined shear deformation theory

Static and vibration analysis of functionally graded beams using refined shear deformation theory is presented. The developed theory, which does not require shear correction factor, accounts for shear deformation effect and coupling coming from the material anisotropy. Governing equations of motion are derived from the Hamilton's principle. The resulting coupling is referred to as triply coupled axial-flexural response. A two-noded Hermite-cubic element with five degree-of-freedom per node is developed to solve the problem. Numerical results are obtained for functionally graded beams with simply-supported, cantilever-free and clamped-clamped boundary conditions to investigate effects of the power-law exponent and modulus ratio on the displacements, natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes

Vulnerability of Smart Grid-enabled Protection Relays to IEMI

The electricity sector has been undergoing transformations towards the smart grid concept, which aims to improve the robustness, efficiency, and flexibility of the power system. This transition has been achieved by the introduction of smart electronic devices (SEDs) and advanced automatic control and communication systems. Despite the benefits of such modernization, safety issues have emerged with significant concern by experts and entities worldwide. One of these issues is known as Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (IEMI), where offenders employ high-power electromagnetic sources to maliciously disrupt or damage electronic devices. One of the possible gateways for IEMI attacks targeting the smart grids is the microprocessor-based protection relays. On the one hand, the malfunctioning of these devices can lead to equipment damage, including high-voltage equipment (e.g., power transformers), which represent one of the most high-cost items of energy infrastructure. On the other hand, a possible misleading triggering of these devices could cause cascading effects along the various nodes of the power system, resulting in widespread blackouts. Thus, this study presents the possible recurring effects of IEMI exposure of a typical protection relay used in smart grid substations as part of the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. For this purpose, a test setup containing a smart grid protective unit, a monitoring box, and the device's wiring harness is exposed to radiated IEMI threats with high-power narrowband signals using a TEM waveguide and horn antennas. The effects during the test campaigns are observed by means of an IEMI-hardened camera system and a software developed to real-time monitor the device's fibre optic communication link, which is established according to the IEC 60870-5-105 protocol. The results revealed failures ranging from display deviation to various types of protection relay shutdown. Moreover, the consequences of the identified failures in a power substation are discussed to feed into a risk analysis regarding the threat of IEMI to power infrastructures.</p

A pilot double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial of the effects of fixed-dose combination therapy ('polypill') on cardiovascular risk factors

SummaryAim: Our objective was to investigate the effects and tolerability of fixed-dose combination therapy on blood pressure and LDL in adults without elevated blood pressure or lipid levels. Methods: This was a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial in residents of Kalaleh, Golestan, Iran. Following an 8-week placebo run-in period, 475 participants, aged 50 to 79 years, without cardiovascular disease, hypertension or hyperlipidaemia were randomised to fixed-dose combination therapy with aspirin 81 mg, enalapril 2.5 mg, atorvastatin 20 mg and hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg (polypill) or placebo for a period of 12 months. The primary outcomes were changes in LDL-cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and adverse reactions. Analysis was by intention-to-treat basis. Results: At baseline, there were differences in systolic blood pressure (6 mmHg). Taking account of baseline differences, at 12 months, polypill was associated with statistically significant reductions in blood pressure (4.5/1.6 mmHg) and LDL-cholesterol (0.46 mmol/l). The study drug was well tolerated, but resulted in the modest reductions in blood pressure and lipid levels. Conclusion: The effects of the polypill on blood pressure and lipid levels were less than anticipated, raising questions about the reliability of the reported compliance. There is a case for a fully powered trial of a polypill for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd