A Combined Experimental/Computational Study of Flow in Turbine Blade Cooling Passage

Laser velocimetry was utilized to map the velocity field in a serpentine turbine blade cooling passage at Reynolds and Rotation numbers of up to 25.000 and 0.48. These results were used to assess the combined influence of passage curvature and Coriolis force on the secondary velocity field generated. A Navier-Stokes code (NASTAR) was validated against incompressible test data and then used to simulate the effect of buoyancy. The measurements show a net convection from the low pressure surface to high pressure surface. The interaction of the secondary flows induced by the turns and rotation produces swirl at the turns, which persisted beyond 2 hydraulic diameters downstream of the turns. The incompressible flow field predictions agree well with the measured velocities. With radially outward flow, the buoyancy force causes a further increase in velocity on the high pressure surface and a reduction on the low pressure surface. The results were analyzed in relation to the heat transfer measurements of Wagner et al. (1991). Predicted heat transfer is enhanced on the high pressure surfaces and in turns. The incompressible flow simulation underpredicts heat transfer in these locations. Improvements observed in compressible flow simulation indicate that the buoyancy force may be important

A classroom deployment of a haptic system for learning cell biology

The use of haptic systems in the classroom for enhancing science education is an underexplored area. In the education literature, it has been reported that certain concepts in science education are difficult for students to grasp and, as a result, misconceptions can be formed in the students' knowledge. We conducted a study with 62 Year 8 (typically 12-13 years old) students who used a haptic application to study cell biology, specifically the concept of diffusion across a cell membrane. The preliminary analysis of the feedback from the students suggests opportunities for haptic applications to enhance their learning, and also highlights a number of points to consider in the design of the application, including the choice of haptic interface and the design of the virtual environment

A combined XAS and XRD Study of the High-Pressure Behaviour of GaAsO4 Berlinite

Combined X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments have been carried out on GaAsO4 (berlinite structure) at high pressure and room temperature. XAS measurements indicate four-fold to six-fold coordination changes for both cations. The two local coordination transformations occur at different rates but appear to be coupled. A reversible transition to a high pressure crystalline form occurs around 8 GPa. At a pressure of about 12 GPa, the system mainly consists of octahedral gallium atoms and a mixture of arsenic in four-fold and six-fold coordinations. A second transition to a highly disordered material with both cations in six-fold coordination occurs at higher pressures and is irreversible.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX2

Maximal HIV-1 Replication in Alveolar Macrophages during Tuberculosis Requires both Lymphocyte Contact and Cytokines

HIV-1 replication is markedly upregulated in alveolar macrophages (AM) during pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). This is associated with loss of an inhibitory CCAAT enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ) transcription factor and activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB. Since the cellular immune response in pulmonary TB requires lymphocyte–macrophage interaction, a model system was developed in which lymphocytes were added to AM. Contact between lymphocytes and AM reduced inhibitory C/EBPβ, activated NF-κB, and enhanced HIV-1 replication. If contact between lymphocytes and macrophages was prevented, inhibitory C/EBPβ expression was maintained and the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) was not maximally stimulated although NF-κB was activated. Antibodies that cross-linked macrophage expressed B-7, and vascular cell adhesion molecule and CD40 were used to mimic lymphocyte contact. All three cross-linking antibodies were required to abolish inhibitory C/EBPβ expression. However, the HIV-1 LTR was not maximally stimulated and NF-κB was not activated. Maximal HIV-1–LTR stimulation required both lymphocyte-derived soluble factors, and cross-linking of macrophage expressed costimulatory molecules. High level HIV-1–LTR stimulation was also achieved when IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-β were added to macrophages with cross-linked costimulatory molecules. Contact between activated lymphocytes and macrophages is necessary to down-regulate inhibitory C/EBPβ, thereby derepressing the HIV-1 LTR. Lymphocyte-derived cytokines activate NF-κB, further enhancing the HIV-1 LTR

High Depth-of-Discharge Zinc Rechargeability Enabled by a Self-Assembled Polymeric Coating

Zinc has the potential for widespread use as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective anode material pending the resolution of rechargeability issues caused by active material loss and shape change. Here, a self-assembled Nafion-coated Celgard 3501 (NC-Celgard) separator is shown to enable unprecedented cycle life of a Zn anode in alkaline electrolyte at high depth-of-discharge (DODZn). Using commercially relevant energy-dense electrodes with high areal capacities of 60 mAh cm–2, Zn–Ni cells tested at 20% DODZn cells achieve over 200 cycles while 50% DODZn cells achieve over 100 cycles before failure. The 20% and 50% DOD cells deliver an average of 132 and 180 Wh L–1 per cycle over their lifetime respectively. Rechargeability is attributed to the highly selective diffusion properties of the 300 nm thick negatively charged Nafion coating on the separator which prevents shorting by dendrites and inhibits redistribution of the active material. Crossover experiments show that the NC-Celgard separator is practically impermeable to zincate ([Zn(OH)4]2–), outperforming commercial Celgard, cellophane, Nafion 211 and 212 separators while still allowing hydroxide transport. This work demonstrates the efficacy of selective separators for increasing the cycle life of energy-dense Zn electrodes without adding significant volume or complexity to the system

The electronic structure of amorphous silica: A numerical study

We present a computational study of the electronic properties of amorphous SiO2. The ionic configurations used are the ones generated by an earlier molecular dynamics simulations in which the system was cooled with different cooling rates from the liquid state to a glass, thus giving access to glass-like configurations with different degrees of disorder [Phys. Rev. B 54, 15808 (1996)]. The electronic structure is described by a tight-binding Hamiltonian. We study the influence of the degree of disorder on the density of states, the localization properties, the optical absorption, the nature of defects within the mobility gap, and on the fluctuations of the Madelung potential, where the disorder manifests itself most prominently. The experimentally observed mismatch between a photoconductivity threshold of 9 eV and the onset of the optical absorption around 7 eV is interpreted by the picture of eigenstates localized by potential energy fluctuations in a mobility gap of approximately 9 eV and a density of states that exhibits valence and conduction band tails which are, even in the absence of defects, deeply located within the former band gap.Comment: 21 pages of Latex, 5 eps figure

Differential maturation and subcellular localization of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus surface proteins S, M and E

Post-translational modifications and correct subcellular localization of viral structural proteins are prerequisites for assembly and budding of enveloped viruses. Coronaviruses, like the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated virus (SARS-CoV), bud from the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi intermediate compartment. In this study, the subcellular distribution and maturation of SARS-CoV surface proteins S, M and E were analysed by using C-terminally tagged proteins. As early as 30 min post-entry into the endoplasmic reticulum, high-mannosylated S assembles into trimers prior to acquisition of complex N-glycans in the Golgi. Like S, M acquires high-mannose N-glycans that are subsequently modified into complex N-glycans in the Golgi. The N-glycosylation profile and the absence of O-glycosylation on M protein relate SARS-CoV to the previously described group 1 and 3 coronaviruses. Immunofluorescence analysis shows that S is detected in several compartments along the secretory pathway from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane while M predominantly localizes in the Golgi, where it accumulates, and in trafficking vesicles. The E protein is not glycosylated. Pulse-chase labelling and confocal microscopy in the presence of protein translation inhibitor cycloheximide revealed that the E protein has a short half-life of 30 min. E protein is found in bright perinuclear patches colocalizing with endoplasmic reticulum markers. In conclusion, SARS-CoV surface proteins S, M and E show differential subcellular localizations when expressed alone suggesting that additional cellular or viral factors might be required for coordinated trafficking to the virus assembly site in the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi intermediate compartment. © 2005 SGM.postprin

Safety of magnetic resonance imaging scanning in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy–defibrillators incorporating quadripolar left ventricular leads

© 2020 The Authors Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning of magnetic resonance (MR)-conditional cardiac implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) can be performed safely following specific protocols. MRI safety with cardiac resynchronization therapy–defibrillators (CRT-Ds) incorporating quadripolar left ventricular (LV) leads is less clear. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of ICDs and CRT-D systems with quadripolar LV leads after an MRI scan. Methods: The ENABLE MRI Study included 230 subjects implanted with a Boston Scientific ImageReady ICD (n = 39) or CRT-D (n = 191) incorporating quadripolar LV leads undergoing nondiagnostic 1.5-T MRI scans (lumbar and thoracic spine imaging) a minimum of 6 weeks postimplant. Pacing capture thresholds (PCTs), sensing amplitudes (SAs), and impedances were measured before and 1 month post-MRI using the same programmed LV pacing vectors. The ability to sense/treat ventricular fibrillation (VF) was assessed in a subset of patients. Results: A total of 159 patients completed a protocol-required MRI scan (MRI Protection Mode turned on) with no scan-related complications. All right ventricular (RV) and left LV PCT and SA effectiveness endpoints were met: RV PCT 99% (145/146 patients), LV PCT 100% (120/120), RV SA 99% (145/146), and LV SA 98% (116/118). In no instances did MRI result in a change in pacing vector or lead revision. All episodes of VF were appropriately sensed and treated. Conclusion: This first evaluation of predominantly CRT-D systems with quadripolar LV leads undergoing 1.5-T MRI confirmed that scanning was safe with no significant changes in RV/LV PCT, SA, programmed vectors, and VF treatment, thus suggesting that MRI in patients having a device with quadripolar leads can be performed without negative impact on CRT delivery