Top-mounted inlet system feasibility for transonic-supersonic fighter aircraft

The more salient findings are presented of recent top inlet performance evaluations aimed at assessing the feasibility of top-mounted inlet systems for transonic-supersonic fighter aircraft applications. Top inlet flow field and engine-inlet performance test data show the influence of key aircraft configuration variables-inlet longitudinal position, wing leading-edge extension planform area, canopy-dorsal integration, and variable incidence canards-on top inlet performance over the Mach range of 0.6 to 2.0. Top inlet performance data are compared with those or more conventional inlet/airframe integrations in an effort to assess the viability of top-mounted inlet systems relative to conventional inlet installations

3D Progressive Damage Modeling for Laminated Composite Based on Crack Band Theory and Continuum Damage Mechanics

A simple continuum damage mechanics (CDM) based 3D progressive damage analysis (PDA) tool for laminated composites was developed and implemented as a user defined material subroutine to link with a commercially available explicit finite element code. This PDA tool uses linear lamina properties from standard tests, predicts damage initiation with an easy-to-implement Hashin-Rotem failure criteria, and in the damage evolution phase, evaluates the degradation of material properties based on the crack band theory and traction-separation cohesive laws. It follows Matzenmiller et al.'s formulation to incorporate the degrading material properties into the damaged stiffness matrix. Since nonlinear shear and matrix stress-strain relations are not implemented, correction factors are used for slowing the reduction of the damaged shear stiffness terms to reflect the effect of these nonlinearities on the laminate strength predictions. This CDM based PDA tool is implemented as a user defined material (VUMAT) to link with the Abaqus/Explicit code. Strength predictions obtained, using this VUMAT, are correlated with test data for a set of notched specimens under tension and compression loads

Filter Component Assessment

Advanced particulate filtration systems are currently being developed at Westinghouse for use in both coal-fired Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and Pressurized Fluidized Bed Combustion (PFBC) systems. To date, Westinghouse has demonstrated 5855 hours of successful operation of first generation monolithic filter elements in PFBC applications when ash bridging or process thermal transient excursions are avoided. Alternate advanced monolithic and second generation fiber reinforced, filament wound and vacuum infiltrated filters are also being developed which are considered to have enhanced high temperature creep resistance, improved fracture toughness, or enhanced thermal shock characteristics, respectively. Mechanical and component fabrication improvements, as well as degradation mechanisms for each filter element have been identified by Westinghouse during exposure to simulated PFBC operating conditions and alkali-containing steam/air environments. Additional effort is currently being focused on determining the stability of the advanced monolithic high temperature creep resistant clay bonded silicon carbide (SiC) materials, alumina/mullite, and chemically vapor infiltrated (CVI) SiC materials during operation in the Westinghouse Advanced Particulate Filtration (W-APF) system at Foster Wheeler`s pressurized circulating fluidized-bed combustion (PCFBC) test facility in Karhula, Finland. Select advanced filter materials are being defined for additional long-term exposure in integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) gas streams. The results of these efforts are summarized in this paper. 6 refs., 7 figs., 11 tabs

Susceptibility or resilience? Prenatal stress predisposes male rats to social subordination, but facilitates adaptation to subordinate status

Mood disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD) affect a significant proportion of the population. Although progress has been made in the development of therapeutics, a large number of individuals do not attain full remission of symptoms and adverse side effects affect treatment compliance for some. In order to develop new therapies, there is a push for new models that better reflect the multiple risk factors that likely contribute to the development of depressive illness. We hypothesized that early life stress would exacerbate the depressive-like phenotype that we have previously observed in socially subordinate (SUB) adult male rats in the visible burrow system (VBS), a semi-natural, ethologically relevant environment in which males in a colony form a dominance hierarchy. Dams were exposed to chronic variable stress (CVS) during the last week of gestation, resulting in a robust and non-habituating glucocorticoid response that did not alter maternal food intake, body weight or litter size and weight. As adults, one prenatal CVS (PCVS) and one non-stressed (NS) male were housed in the VBS with adult females. Although there were no overt differences between PCVS and NS male offspring prior to VBS housing, a greater percentage of PCVS males became SUB. However, the depressive-like phenotype of SUB males was not exacerbated in PCVS males; rather, they appeared to better cope with SUB status than NS SUB males. They had lower basal plasma corticosterone than NS SUB males at the end of VBS housing. In situ hybridization for CRH in the PVN and CeA did not reveal any prenatal treatment or status effects, while NPY expression was higher within the MeA of dominant and subordinate males exposed to the VBS in comparison with controls, but with no effect of prenatal treatment. These data suggest that prenatal chronic variable stress may confer resilience to offspring when exposed to social stress in adulthood

Decoherence-protected quantum gates for a hybrid solid-state spin register

Protecting the dynamics of coupled quantum systems from decoherence by the environment is a key challenge for solid-state quantum information processing. An idle qubit can be efficiently insulated from the outside world via dynamical decoupling, as has recently been demonstrated for individual solid-state qubits. However, protection of qubit coherence during a multi-qubit gate poses a non-trivial problem: in general the decoupling disrupts the inter-qubit dynamics, and hence conflicts with gate operation. This problem is particularly salient for hybrid systems, wherein different types of qubits evolve and decohere at vastly different rates. Here we present the integration of dynamical decoupling into quantum gates for a paradigmatic hybrid system, the electron-nuclear spin register. Our design harnesses the internal resonance in the coupled-spin system to resolve the conflict between gate operation and decoupling. We experimentally demonstrate these gates on a two-qubit register in diamond operating at room temperature. Quantum tomography reveals that the qubits involved in the gate operation are protected as accurately as idle qubits. We further illustrate the power of our design by executing Grover's quantum search algorithm, achieving fidelities above 90% even though the execution time exceeds the electron spin dephasing time by two orders of magnitude. Our results directly enable decoherence-protected interface gates between different types of promising solid-state qubits. Ultimately, quantum gates with integrated decoupling may enable reaching the accuracy threshold for fault-tolerant quantum information processing with solid-state devices.Comment: This is original submitted version of the paper. The revised and finalized version is in print, and is subjected to the embargo and other editorial restrictions of the Nature journa

Early-stage Fundraising of University Spin-offs: A Study through Demand-site Perspectives

University spin-offs have increasingly received attention from academia, governments and policy-makers. However, there are only a limited number of studies which fully understand the contribution made by the founding team to fundraising, specifically how they use their social networks and capabilities, especially within the university spin-off context. Employing a resource-based view theory and social networks approach, this paper examines whether a founding team exploits its social networks and capabilities to signal the value of a university spin-off. Capabilities are analysed through a set of constructs - technology, strategy, human capital, organizational viability and commercial resource - that have been derived from previous literature. The contribution made by social networks is evaluated using three dimensions - structure, governance and content - which form the construct of relationships within a network. Based on data from 181 university spin-offs in Spain, this paper empirically demonstrates that by exploiting social networks a founding team can improve its capabilities which, in turn, enhance its fundraising ability

Aureusimines in Staphylococcus aureus Are Not Involved in Virulence

virulence. Surprisingly, most of the virulence genes affected by aureusimines form part of the regulon of the SaeRS two component system (TCS), raising the possibility that SaeRS might be directly or indirectly involved in the aureusimine-dependent signaling process. mutant was highly enriched in a mixed culture experiment.-mediated virulence factor production or contribute to staphylococcal virulence

U-Shaped Relation between Plasma Oxytocin Levels and Behavior in the Trust Game

10.1371/journal.pone.0051095PLoS ONE712