Secondary Distributions Research Articles

Secondary size distributions for single drop impacts at high wall superheat

The impingement of liquid sprays on hot walls is used extensively in both spray-cooling systems and in combustor fuel injection applications. At low and moderate wall temperatures, the secondary size distributions have been reported in the literature. For high wall superheat conditions, particularly for real multicomponent fuels, this secondary size distribution has received less attention. Understanding the resultant size distribution for a spray-wall impact is key to capturing vaporization and local mixture for fuel-spray impingement. In this study, single drop impacts for a range of single-component (n-decane) and multicomponent jet fuel (F-24) are characterized through dual-view imaging. Secondary droplets are captured for impact Weber numbers of 100–600 and wall temperatures spanning the nucleate and film boiling (Leidenfrost) regimes. Imaging through a transparent sapphire substrate is used to capture the impact phenomena and impact-induced breakup of impacting drops. We report empirical correlations for the secondary droplet size for single-component (n-decane) and multicomponent (F-24) liquid fuels with varying wall temperature to provide validation datasets for spray-wall simulations.

Built-in physics models and proton-induced nuclear data validation using MCNP, PHITS, and FLUKA – Impact on the shielding design for proton accelerator facilities

The MCNP, PHITS, and FLUKA are general-purpose Monte Carlo (MC) radiation transport codes that are widely used for many real-world shielding problems at accelerator facilities around the world. Nuclear interactions are described in these codes by either built-in physics models, or tables with evaluated cross sections and secondary energy-angular distributions, or a combination of both. Over the decades, many code validation efforts have been made, owing to the availability of shielding benchmarks to test the physics models and nuclear data and to verify the accuracy of simulation codes.For high beam energy and high beam current accelerator applications, neutron emission through the vacuum pipe along the reverse direction of incident proton beam is an important factor for a shielding design in order to correctly assess the dose rates for workers and the structural materials of the accelerator and handle with the waste activated by the backscattered neutron fluxes. In this work, neutron-production cross sections and thick-target yield predictions from MC codes relying on physics models and nuclear data libraries are benchmarked against the experimental data, in order to assess their accuracy in predicting neutron emission and furthermore to assess the corresponding impact on shielding design.The results of this study demonstrate that the nuclear data libraries and physics models, which are not expected to give good results at lower energies (< 150 MeV) but are used anyhow when there is no nuclear data available or above the energy range where the data tables end in the so-called “mix-and-match” strategy, need further improvements. Among the investigated proton induced nuclear data libraries, JENDL-4.0/HE produces the most satisfactory agreement to experimental data for all target materials, but may still benefit from refinement. Concerning the physics models of the codes, FLUKA V4-4.0 has the best performance in terms of reproducibility of the experimental values. It is also shown that all discrepancies between the calculations and the experiments for the energy range < 10 MeV (which is dominant on the dose rates through the shield thickness), are up to factor of two. This might be considered as an acceptable figure as it is equivalent to a normal safety margin (x2) considered in shielding calculations of accelerator facilities around the world.

Study on the carbon evolution laws and carbon accounting methods of coal-fired boilers under deep peaking

The power grid needs to rapidly modify its power output to counterbalance the variable nature of new energy generation. This necessitates enhanced deep-peaking capabilities in coal-fired boilers. This research investigates the CO2 emission evolution in a 330 MW tangentially fired pulverized coal boiler under varying loads, secondary air distributions, and coal blending to elucidate the CO2 emission evolution dynamics of coal-fired boilers. A comprehensive three-dimensional model of the gas-solid two-phase flow in the furnace, coupled with the coal-firing chemical reactions, is established. Finally, a novel carbon accounting method is proposed, which enhances the accuracy of carbon emission results under various conditions. Results indicate that as the load decreases, combustion becomes progressively less complete. At a 30 % load reduction, carbon conversion into CO2 is minimized, and the amounts of CO and unburned carbon in the fly ash peak. Using equal air distribution and layering coal blending—inferior in layers A, B, and C; general in D; and superior in E—across five burners enhances CO2 production under low-load conditions. Consequently, the levels of CO and unburned carbon in the fly ash are reduced. These research findings serve as a reference for precise accounting of boiler carbon emissions.

Modeling Electrode Shape Changes in Electrodeposition and Electrochemical Dissolution

In the fields of metal production, surface finishing, and electronic device manufacturing, achieving precise control over electrochemical processes is crucial for product quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. This paper introduces an open-source modeling tool based on a dynamic mesh technique built on the finite volume method using the C ++ toolbox OpenFOAM. This tool has been validated against both newly proposed analytical solutions and existing numerical and experimental results in various conditions and kinetic controls. The analytical solution predicts the electrode surface position, current, or cell voltage difference for confined electrodes. It considers primary and secondary current distributions with linear kinetics under different electric control modes. Notably, the validation highlights the congruence of the new method with prior studies and underscores its potential to offer enhanced predictive capabilities. Furthermore, this work extends beyond traditional modeling approaches by incorporating pulse reverse plating, which has been successfully modeled using the dynamic mesh method. Additionally, a modified Wagner number (WaPR) is proposed to predict in advance the optimal conditions for achieving a more uniform deposit. This innovative approach contributes to the advancement of theoretical understanding and will improve practical applications in electrochemical deposition and dissolution processes.

Effects of activated fuel and staged secondary air distributions on purification, combustion and NOx emission characteristics of pulverized coal with purification-combustion technology

Under the strategic objectives of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, clean and efficient coal combustion was important in China. As a novel combustion technology, purification-combustion technology had good research prospects, and high-temperature reduction unit (HTRU) played a crucial role in fuel activation, subsequent combustion and NOx emissions based on the design of this technology. Despite previous research had proved the pivotal role of fuel and combustion air distributions in combustor in influencing the entire thermochemical process, there was the lack of research on their effects in HTRU employing purification-combustion technology. To realize deep NOx emission reduction, this study focused on influences of activated fuel and staged secondary air distributions in HTRU on purification, combustion and NOx emission characteristics in a 30 kW purification-combustion test rig. With the exception of carbon microcrystalline structure, the majority of reductive char properties exhibited superior performance when activated fuel was introduced tangentially, as opposed to axially. Nevertheless, the relationship of carbon microcrystalline structure was regulated by staged secondary air ratio (c12). Properly increasing c12 improved reductive char properties. Additionally, axial introduction of activated fuel more consistently yielded ultra-low levels of NOx emissions; however, this often occurred at the expense of combustion efficiency (η). Properly increasing c12 reduced NOx emissions while increasing η; nevertheless, the benefits derived from c12 were limited. By adjusting introduction direction and c12 (axial, 0.33), minimum NOx emissions decreased to 39.10 mg/m3 (@6 % O2) while maintaining high η of 99.39 %.

A beta-Poisson model for infectious disease transmission.

Outbreaks of emerging and zoonotic infections represent a substantial threat to human health and well-being. These outbreaks tend to be characterised by highly stochastic transmission dynamics with intense variation in transmission potential between cases. The negative binomial distribution is commonly used as a model for transmission in the early stages of an epidemic as it has a natural interpretation as the convolution of a Poisson contact process and a gamma-distributed infectivity. In this study we expand upon the negative binomial model by introducing a beta-Poisson mixture model in which infectious individuals make contacts at the points of a Poisson process and then transmit infection along these contacts with a beta-distributed probability. We show that the negative binomial distribution is a limit case of this model, as is the zero-inflated Poisson distribution obtained by combining a Poisson-distributed contact process with an additional failure probability. We assess the beta-Poisson model's applicability by fitting it to secondary case distributions (the distribution of the number of subsequent cases generated by a single case) estimated from outbreaks covering a range of pathogens and geographical settings. We find that while the beta-Poisson mixture can achieve a closer to fit to data than the negative binomial distribution, it is consistently outperformed by the negative binomial in terms of Akaike Information Criterion, making it a suboptimal choice on parsimonious grounds. The beta-Poisson performs similarly to the negative binomial model in its ability to capture features of the secondary case distribution such as overdispersion, prevalence of superspreaders, and the probability of a case generating zero subsequent cases. Despite this possible shortcoming, the beta-Poisson distribution may still be of interest in the context of intervention modelling since its structure allows for the simulation of measures which change contact structures while leaving individual-level infectivity unchanged, and vice-versa.

Two of a Kind: Comparing Big and Small Black Holes in Binaries with Gravitational Waves

When modeling the population of merging binary black holes, analyses have generally focused on characterizing the distribution of primary (i.e., more massive) black holes in the binary, while using simplistic prescriptions for the distribution of secondary masses. However, the secondary mass distribution and its relationship to the primary mass distribution provide a fundamental observational constraint on the formation history of coalescing binary black holes. If both black holes experience similar stellar evolutionary processes prior to collapse, as might be expected in dynamical formation channels, the primary and secondary mass distributions would show similar features. If they follow distinct evolutionary pathways (for example, due to binary interactions that break symmetry between the initially more massive and less massive stars), their mass distributions may differ. We present the first analysis of the binary black hole population that explicitly fits for the secondary mass distribution. We find that the data is consistent with a ∼30 M ⊙ peak existing only in the distribution of secondary rather than primary masses. This would have major implications for our understanding of the formation of these binaries. Alternatively, the data is consistent with the peak existing in both component mass distributions, a possibility not included in most previous studies. In either case, the peak is observed at 31.4−2.6+2.3M⊙ , which is shifted lower than the value obtained in previous analyses of the marginal primary mass distribution, placing this feature in further tension with expectations from a pulsational pair-instability supernova pileup.

Modeling the hydromagnetic transient three-dimensional stagnation point flow of a couple stress Casson fluid over a bi-directional stretching sheet

A numerical study is performed to examine the magnetohydrodynamic effects on the transient three-dimensional stagnation point flow of a Casson fluid along a bi-directional stretching sheet. The physical model of the flow includes a sheet which is stretched in both the tangential directions and is thus called “bi-directional stretching”. The heat transfer mechanism includes the influences of space- and time-dependent non-uniform heat generation/absorption, as well as dissipation due to viscosity. The mathematical modeling of the problem involves the constitution of a set of coupled nonlinear boundary layer equations, together with suitable boundary conditions. The mathematical model thus developed is then subjected to suitable similarity transformations to arrive at a set of ordinary differential equations, which were then treated with the successive linearization method (SLM) to obtain approximate solutions for the velocity and temperature fields. A parametric study is carried out, and the results are discussed and presented graphically to analyze the behavior of the primary and secondary velocity distributions, as well as fluid temperature, along with significant physical quantities such as skin friction and Nusselt number for various values of the nondimensional parameters. Multiple quadratic regression analysis is also carried out to investigate the significance of parameters and to estimate the skin-friction and heat transfer coefficients.

Identification and Expression Analysis of the Nucleotidyl Transferase Protein (NTP) Family in Soybean (Glycine max) under Various Abiotic Stresses.

Nucleotidyl transferases (NTPs) are common transferases in eukaryotes and play a crucial role in nucleotide modifications at the 3' end of RNA. In plants, NTPs can regulate RNA stability by influencing 3' end modifications, which in turn affect plant growth, development, stress responses, and disease resistance. Although the functions of NTP family members have been extensively studied in Arabidopsis, rice, and maize, there is limited knowledge about NTP genes in soybeans. In this study, we identified 16 members of the NTP family in soybeans, including two subfamilies (G1 and G2) with distinct secondary structures, conserved motifs, and domain distributions at the protein level. Evolutionary analysis of genes in the NTP family across multiple species and gene collinearity analysis revealed a relatively conserved evolutionary pattern. Analysis of the tertiary structure of the proteins showed that NTPs have three conserved aspartic acids that bind together to form a possible active site. Tissue-specific expression analysis indicated that some NTP genes exhibit tissue-specific expression, likely due to their specific functions. Stress expression analysis showed significant differences in the expression levels of NTP genes under high salt, drought, and cold stress. Additionally, RNA-seq analysis of soybean plants subjected to salt and drought stress further confirmed the association of soybean NTP genes with abiotic stress responses. Subcellular localization experiments revealed that GmNTP2 and GmNTP14, which likely have similar functions to HESO1 and URT1, are located in the nucleus. These research findings provide a foundation for further investigations into the functions of NTP family genes in soybeans.

Mechanical properties of hierarchical lattice via strain gradient homogenization approach

With the advancement of 3D printing technology, manufacturing metamaterials with extreme mechanical properties is becoming more feasible. Hierarchical lattices appear to be ideal candidates for obtaining desirable lightweight, high specific stiffness, and enhanced specific energy absorption. They can be constructed by architected substructures at multiple length scales. The interpretations of the underlying deformation mechanisms are necessary in order to manipulate with expected mechanical properties. In this paper, experiments were conducted to examine the effective mechanical behaviors of hierarchical lattice metamaterials. A strain gradient homogenization approach has been employed to correlate their morphological characteristics to the resulting material properties. The effective stiffness tensors are identified including the fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-order stiffness tensors. The higher-order inertial parameters are determined by a fitting procedure. Comparisons between direct finite element analyses and the homogenized strain gradient continua have been made for hierarchical lattice materials under static and dynamic loads. It is found that strain gradient homogenization approach can be an accurate, efficient and reliable way of predicting the mechanical behaviors of hierarchical lattice. A systematic analysis of geometrical parameters was conducted to uncover the underlying mechanisms responsible for the enhancement of effective properties. This work offers a novel approach for designing the mechanical properties of hierarchical metamaterials through precise control of secondary structure types and distributions.

Effects of the ground-electrode temperature on electrical and optical characteristics of a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge in atmospheric pressure air

The applied power and electron energy are believed to play important roles in plasma applications, which can be significantly altered by controlling the ground-electrode temperature in a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). The effects of the ground-electrode temperature on the electrical and optical characteristics of the DBD were investigated in atmospheric pressure air. The results show that the breakdown voltage decreases, and the number of discharge pulses, the transferred charges, and the applied power increase with the electrode temperature, while the peak current tends to decrease when the electrode temperature is below −35 °C and above 25 °C, respectively. When the electrode temperature remains constant, the breakdown voltage increases and the applied power decreases with the gap distance. The applied power increases with the applied voltage. The dielectric capacitance, the total capacitance, and the gap capacitance at the electrode temperature below −35 °C are generally higher than those at the electrode temperature above 25 °C. Moreover, they change in the same trend when the electrode temperature and the applied voltage increase. The dielectric and total capacitances increase while the gap capacitance decreases. The relative intensities of the spectral lines increase with the electrode temperature. The electron, vibrational, and rotational temperatures increase with the electrode temperature above 25 °C. However, the electron and vibrational temperatures increase and decrease with the electrode temperature below −35 °C. The secondary emission coefficients and electron energy distributions with the electrode temperature were discussed.

Basic Mechanisms of Single-Event Occurrence in Silicon Carbide Semiconductor under Terrestrial Atmospheric Neutron Irradiation

This numerical simulation work investigates the basic physical mechanisms of single events induced in a target layer composed of silicon carbide exposed to natural radiation with atmospheric neutrons at the terrestrial level. Using direct calculations and extensive Geant4 simulations, this study provides an accurate investigation in terms of nuclear processes, recoil products, secondary ion production and fragment energy distributions. In addition, the thorough analysis includes a comparison between the responses to neutron irradiation of silicon carbide, carbon (diamond) and silicon targets. Finally, the consequences of these interactions in terms of the generation of electron–hole pairs, which is a fundamental mechanism underlying single-event transient effects at the device or circuit level, are discussed in detail.

Flow and heat transfer performance of bionic heat transfer structures with hybrid triply periodic minimal surfaces

Efficient energy conversion technologies are essential for mitigating the environmental impact of industrial activities. The development and application of high-efficiency heat exchangers are key components in this endeavor. Heat exchangers based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) are widely acknowledged for their exceptional thermal-hydraulic performance. However, current research mainly focuses on the design and optimization of heat exchangers with standard TPMS structures. In this study, a hybrid process is utilized to construct ten novel heat exchangers, followed by comprehensive investigations of their internal flow fields using three-dimensional numerical simulations. In order to establish a baseline, five standard TPMS structures are also introduced as reference cases. The results reveal that complex secondary flow distributions and velocity variations are critical factors influencing the thermal-hydraulic performance. Moreover, the influence of different standard TPMS cells on the flow and heat transfer characteristics varies during the hybridization process. Specifically, the inclusion of the Schwarz cell generally leads to an improvement in heat transfer, while the presence of the Lindinoid cell may result in a deterioration of heat transfer. The Diamond and Lindinoid cells have an adverse impact on the flow characteristics, while the Gyroid and Neovius cells enhance the flow characteristics. To evaluate the overall thermal-hydraulic performance of different channels, a comprehensive performance assessment is introduced. The Diamond channel and the Gyroid-Neovius channel show superior overall performance in their respective Reynolds number regions, with the former exhibiting better flow characteristics and the latter has outstanding heat transfer performance.

(Invited) Application of Open-Source, Python-Based Tools for the Simulation of Electrochemical Systems

There is a rich history of mathematical modeling of electrochemical systems. These simulations are useful 1) to refine our understanding of systems that contain complex, coupled phenomena, 2) to design and control electrochemical devices, and 3) to help novices in developing confidence and intuition for the behavior of electrochemical systems.Regardless of the application, cyclic voltammetry, storage batteries, secondary current distributions, or corrosion to name a few, elucidating the relationship between current and potential is central to understanding how electrochemical systems behave. Here, we report on historical and future perspectives of simulating electrochemical systems with open-source, python-based tools. The presentation includes a tutorial of the formulation of problems based on underlying engineering and electrochemistry principles.Within R1 universities in the United States, excellent resources are available at little to no cost for the simulation of electrochemical systems. However, the price for these tools can be prohibitive for most engineers and scientists working in industry. Access to these tools is even worse in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Actively supporting open-source software promotes a more inclusive scientific and research community that is essential to confronting the challenges facing society. Python was chosen because it is open-source.FEniCSx, a popular open-source computing platform for solving partial differential equations,1-2 is applied to the solution of primary and secondary current distributions for two- and three-dimensional geometries. FEniCSx is used on both desktop computers as well as within high performance computing environments, such as Georgia Tech’s PACE.Simulations have long been known to increase interactions between instructors and teachers as well as to help students visualize content.3-4 Recently, tools developed in python have been applied to simple electrochemical systems. 5-6. Because of the low barrier to entry and access to numerous computational packages, such as numpy, matplotlib, and scipy, the Anaconda distribution of python is promoted. A series of dynamic simulations are designed to help students improve their understanding of electrochemical systems. These simulations feature animation and extensive use of widgets that allow students to adjust parameters and immediately observe the results. A. Logg, K. A. Mardal, G. N. Wells. Automated solution of differential equations by the finite element method, Lecture Notes in Computational Science and Engineering, 84 LNCSE (2012).A, Logg and G. N. Wells. DOLFIN: Automated finite element computing, ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software, 37.2 (2010).T. de Jong, W. R. van Joolingen, Scientific Discovery Learning with Computer Simulations of Conceptual Domains, Review of Educational Research, 68, 179-201 (1998).R. E. West, C. R. Graham, Five Powerful Ways Technology Can Enhance Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Educational Technology, 45, 20-27 (2005).X. Wang, Z. Wang, Animated Electrochemistry Simulation Modules, J. Chem. Educ., 99, 752-758 (2022).T.F. Fuller, J.N. Harb, Using Python Simulations for Inquiry-Based Learning of Electrochemical Systems, ECS Meeting s, (2021). DOI 10.1149/MA2021-02511503mtgabs

Persistent organic pollutants in global surface soils: Distributions and fractionations

The distribution and fractionation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in different matrices refer to how these pollutants are dispersed and separated within various environmental compartments. This is a significant study area as it helps us understand the transport efficiencies and long-range transport potentials of POPs to enter remote areas, particularly polar regions. This study provides a comprehensive review of the progress in understanding the distribution and fractionation of POPs. We focus on the contributions of four intermedia processes (dry and wet depositions for gaseous and particulate POPs) and determine their transfer between air and soil. These processes are controlled by their partitioning between gaseous and particulate phases in the atmosphere. The distribution patterns and fractionations can be categorized into primary and secondary types. Equations are developed to quantificationally study the primary and secondary distributions and fractionations of POPs. The analysis results suggest that the transfer of low molecular weight (LMW) POPs from air to soil is mainly through gas diffusion and particle deposition, whereas high molecular weight (HMW) POPs are mainly via particle deposition. HMW-POPs tend to be trapped near the source, whereas LMW-POPs are more prone to undergo long-range atmospheric transport. This crucial distinction elucidates the primary reason behind their temperature-independent primary fractionation. However, the secondary distribution and fractionation can only be observed along a temperature gradient, such as latitudinal or altitudinal transects. An animation is produced by a one-dimensional transport model to simulate conceptively the transport of CB-28 and CB-180, revealing the similarities and differences between the primary and secondary distributions and fractionations. We suggest that the decreasing temperature trend along latitudes is not the major reason for POPs to be fractionated into the polar ecosystems, but drives the longer-term accumulation of POPs in cold climates or polar cold trapping.

Total and regional microfiber transport characterization in a 15th - Generation human respiratory airway

Fiber transport and deposition in the complete respiratory airway is of great significance for human health risk assessment. Thus far, the literature has mainly focused on limited branches of the upper airway and assumes spherical particles by neglecting fiber anisotropy. To fill the gap, this paper utilized an extended realistic respiratory airway from the nasal cavity to the distal bronchial tracts, up to the 15th generation. Fibers with aerodynamic diameters from 2 to 12 μm and aspect ratios of 1, 10, and 50 were released at the inlet of the respiratory airway model, and the coupled translational and rotational motion were computed. Overall and regional fiber deposition fractions, including the nasal cavities, laryngeal airway, and lungs were predicted and compared with earlier numerical results. The study also investigated: 1) secondary flow and distributions of the fibers at the lower respiratory airway entrance; 2) upstream conditions toward fiber deposition efficiencies; 3) fiber deposition patterns and detailed deposition fractions in the five lobes. Utilizing the realistic fiber transport model, the current study found that the upstream airway geometry and the flow condition have a significant impact on the fiber transport and deposition in the downstream airway regions. The fiber depositions in the lower and middle lobes are sensitive to the fiber aerodynamic diameter, but insensitive in the upper lobes. This study expects to generate innovative knowledge on the unique fiber motion characteristics toward potential inhalation health risks.

Enhancement of Photocatalytic Activity and Microstructural Growth of Cobalt-Substituted Ba1−xCoxTiO3 {x = 0, …, 1} Heterostructure

The photocatalytic degradation process and absorption kinetics of the aqueous solution of the Cibacron Brilliant Yellow 3G-P dye (Y) were investigated under UV-Vis light. Pure barium titanate BaTiO3 (BT) and cobalt ion-substituted barium Ba1−xCoxTiO3 (x = 0, …, 1) nano-compound powders (BCT) were synthesized using the sol–gel method and colloidal solution destabilization, and utilized as photocatalysts. The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) crystal structure analysis of the BT nanoparticles (NPs) revealed a prominent reflection corresponding to the perovskite structure. However, impurities and secondary phase distributions were qualitatively identified in the PXRD patterns for x ≥ 0.2 of cobalt substitution rate. Rietveld refinements of the PXRD data showed that the BCT nano-compound series undergoes a transition from perovskite structure to isomorphous ilmenite-type rhombohedral CoTiO3 (CT) ceramic. The nanoparticles produced displayed robust chemical interactions, according to a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The BT and BCT nanoparticles had secondary hexagonal phases that matched the PXRD results and small aggregated, more spherically shaped particles with sizes ranging from 30 to 114 nm, according to transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Following a thorough evaluation of BCT nano-compounds with (x = 0.6), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) compositional elemental analysis revealed random distributions of cobalt ions. Through optical analysis of the photoluminescence spectra (PL), the electronic structure, charge carriers, defects, and energy transfer mechanisms of the compounds were examined. Due to the cobalt ions being present in the BT lattice, the UV-visible absorption spectra of BCT showed a little red-shift in the absorption curves when compared to pure BT samples. The electrical and optical characteristics of materials, such as their photon absorption coefficient, can be gathered from their UV-visible spectra. The photocatalytic reaction is brought about by the electron–hole pairs produced by this absorption. The estimated band gap energies of the examined compounds, which are in the range of 3.79 to 2.89 eV, are intriguing and require more investigation into their potential as UV photocatalysts. These nano-ceramics might be able to handle issues with pollution and impurities, such as the breakdown of organic contaminants and the production of hydrogen from water.

Long QT syndrome-associated calmodulin mutations and their interactions with the Kv7.1 voltage-gated potassium channel

Abstract Introduction Calmodulin (CaM) is a highly conserved mediator of calcium (Ca2+) dependent signalling. Its flexible structure allows CaM to bind and modulate many targets, including cardiac ion channels. Genotyping has revealed several CaM mutations associated with congenital disorders of heart rhythm, known as long QT-syndrome (LQTS). LQTS patients suffer from prolonged ventricular recovery times (QT-interval) which increases their risk of significant cardiac events. Loss of function KV7.1 mutations are the largest cause of LQTS, accounting for &amp;gt;50% of cases. CaM facilitates Ca2+-sensitivity to KV7.1 in producing IKs, Kv7.1 mutations which reduce CaM binding promote LQTS pathology. However, the effects of LQTS-associated CaM mutations on Kv7.1 function remain unknown. Purpose To determine the biophysical consequences of congenital LQTS-associated CaM mutations and how they alter modulation of Kv7.1 in producing the ventricular repolarising IKs current. Methods WT and mutant CaM proteins were recombinantly expressed and purified for biophysical characterisation. Using circular dichroism, secondary structures and thermostability of proteins were quantified. Isothermal titration calorimetry was used to quantitatively measure interactions between CaM proteins and binding sites of KV7.1 (Helix B). NMR was employed to study the conformations of target-bound WT and mutant proteins. Whole cell currents were determined using voltage clamp electrophysiology in HEK cells. Results Mutations significantly changed the thermostability and secondary structure distributions of CaM, and also caused site-dependent increases in susceptibility to protease digestion. CaM interacted with Helix B (KV7.1) via both Ca2+-dependent and independent mechanisms. Ca2+ dependent binding to Helix B was much higher affinity than Ca2+-independent binding, with &amp;gt;2000-fold reduction in dissociation constant measured. LQTS-CaM variants reduced Helix B affinity with the largest reductions found in EF-hand IV mutants. These mutants also adopted most distinct conformations when Helix B-bound. Calmodulation of the KV7.1 channel produced larger (IKs) currents without altering channel activation kinetics. IKs exhibited Ca2+-sensitivity, in response to increased cytosolic Ca2+, larger currents were generated. Modulation by CaM mutants reduced current density at systolic Ca2+-concentrations (1000 nM), within physiological time periods (0.35 s), revealing a direct QT-prolonging modulatory effect. Conclusions Provided here are mechanistic insights as to how LQTS-associated CaM variants contribute to electrical disease of the heart. Mutations in the highly conserved structure of CaM disrupt protein conformation and perturb complex formation with KV7.1. This results in aberrant Ca2+-sensitivity of Kv7.1, reducing IKs generation. This ultimately decreases the repolarisation capacity of cells and would extend the QT interval of myocytes. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): British Heart Foundation Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellowship

Influence of the parallel oil‐secondary air and F‐layer secondary air distribution on the flow, combustion, and NOx generation characteristics of FW down‐fired boilers retrofitted with a stable combustion technology

AbstractTo further reduce the NOx emissions of the down‐fired boiler while improving its low‐load stable combustion capacity, a new low NOx combustion organization mode that utilizes the high velocity parallel oil‐secondary air to improve the pulverized coal combustion process was proposed based on a novel stable combustion technology. We carried out cold airflow experiments under different oil‐secondary air and F‐layer secondary air distributions (mass flow rate ratios of 1:9, 1:3, 2:3) based on a 300 MWe Foster Wheeler down‐fired boiler to study its influence on the flow and mixing characteristics of the coal/airflow. Results show that the mixing between the oil‐secondary air and the fuel‐rich coal/airflow is gradually delayed with the increase of the secondary air distribution. When the secondary air distribution reaches more than 2:3, the oil‐secondary air starts to become the dominant airflow that influences the whole flow field in the furnace. Based on the result of the cold airflow experiment, we carried out industrial measurements under different parallel oil‐secondary air and F‐layer secondary air distributions (4:6, 5:5, 6:4) on a 600 MWe FW down‐fired boiler under the condition of using the high velocity oil‐secondary air. The ignition distance of the fuel‐rich coal/airflow, the flue gas temperature, the O2, CO, and NOx concentrations in the furnace were measured. At the secondary air distribution of 4:6, the ignition distance of the fuel‐rich coal/airflow was about 1.31 m. When the secondary air distribution was increased to 5:5 and 6:4, the ignition was put off, but the pulverized coal/airflow could still catch on fire in time. With the increase of the parallel oil‐secondary air proportion, the flame center in the furnace did not move downward substantially. In three cases, the lowest O2 concentrations in the inspection port area under the burner were all below 1% (peak CO concentration values were all above 28,000 ppm). The pulverized coal all burned in a strong reducing atmosphere. At secondary air distributions of 4:6, 5:5, and 6:4, NOx emissions of the boiler were, respectively, 825.83, 819.48, and 853.86 mg/Nm3 (O2 = 6%). The thermal efficiency was, respectively, 90.09%, 89.16%, and 90.98%. In actual operation, the recommended secondary air distribution is 6:4.

An investigation on quantitative detector characteristics of novel flexible skin dosimeter using Monte Carlo simulation method

Novel lead oxide-based flexible dosimeters with superior performance were experimentally tested for electron therapy. However, absorbed/transmitted primary particle fraction and secondary radiation distribution from the dosimeter surface have not been reported. These features should be specified to improve the dosimeter’s reliability for medical applications. Hence, the absorbed primary particle fraction, transmitted particle and secondary radiations distributions of lead oxide-based flexible skin dosimeter under the incident 6 MeV electron radiation have been investigated by pyPenelope Monte Carlo Simulation. The results have demonstrated that the generated secondary irradiation probabilities are not significantly high to enhance the therapeutic dose abnormally. In addition, the angular distribution of the scattered secondary irradiations is low. No abnormal changes were observed in the fraction and energy distribution of the transmitted primary electrons. Hence, it can be concluded that the designed structure has promising potential to be used as dosimeters in electron beam therapy.