288 research outputs found
Humoral and lung immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in a primate model of protection
No full textAbstractRecently we reported (Mehra et al., 2013), that lung granulomas from Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG)-vaccinated cynomolgus macaques exhibit upon challenge with M. tuberculosis a more balanced expression of α- and β-chemokines, relative to comparable samples from sham-vaccinated animals by comparative transcriptomics. Here, we studied the recruitment of immune cells to blood and lungs in M. tuberculosis-infected macaques as a function of prior BCG-vaccination. Vaccination initially enhanced the levels of both macrophages and lymphocytes in blood. In contrast, significantly more CD4+ lymphocytes were later recruited to the lungs of sham-vaccinated animals compared with earlier times/BCG vaccinated animals. BCG-vaccination had a short-lived impact on the anti-M. tuberculosis response. M. tuberculosis continued to replicate in the lung even in the wake of increased CD4+ T cell recruitment to primate lungs, indicating that immune subversive mechanisms are key to its survival in vivo
Portable Acoustic Monitoring Package (PAMP)
No full textThe 1st generation acoustic monitoring package was designed to detect and analyze weak acoustic signals inside natural gas transmission lines. Besides a microphone it housed a three-inch diameter aerodynamic acoustic signal amplifier to maximize sensitivity to leak induced {Delta}p type signals. The theory and test results of this aerodynamic signal amplifier was described in the master's degree thesis of our Research Assistant Deepak Mehra who is about to graduate. To house such a large three-inch diameter sensor required the use of a steel 300-psi rated 4 inch weld neck flange, which itself weighed already 29 pounds. The completed 1st generation Acoustic Monitoring Package weighed almost 100 pounds. This was too cumbersome to mount in the field, on an access port at a pipeline shut-off valve. Therefore a 2nd generation and truly Portable Acoustic Monitor was built. It incorporated a fully self-contained {Delta}p type signal sensor, rated for line pressures up to 1000 psi with a base weight of only 6 pounds. This is the Rosemont Inc. Model 3051CD-Range 0, software driven sensor, which is believed to have industries best total performance. Its most sensitive unit was purchased with a {Delta}p range from 0 to 3 inch water. This resulted in the herein described 2nd generation: Portable Acoustic Monitoring Package (PAMP) for pipelines up to 1000 psi. Its 32-pound total weight includes an 18-volt battery. Together with a 3 pound laptop with its 4-channel data acquisition card, completes the equipment needed for field acoustic monitoring of natural gas transmission pipelines
Morphological evaluation and yield performance of lentil genotypes against stemphylium blight
No full textExperiment was designed to screen out lentil genotypes against Stemphylium blight (SB). Thirty-five test genotypes along with one moderately susceptible popular local control ‘Moitree’ were grown under natural epiphytotic condition in the farm of BCKV during 2020-21 and 2021-22. Genotypes wise crop phenological characters, yield and disease severity data were recorded. The result revealed, genotypes ILL10838/ILWL11/X2016S was resistant to SB with highest yield (1184.00 kg/ha) followed by 8114/10956/16-1 (1112.20 kg/ha) and IPL 220 (1072.90 kg/ha) with MR reaction. Pooled analysis of two years experimental data used to develop the model Y = 336.21 + 6.12x [R2 = 0.86] explained that there is an increase of yield 6.12 kg/ha with every 1 unit increase in the number of pods per plant. Correlation of determination value (R2 = 0.86) proved the feasibility of the model. Lentil genotypes ILL10838/ ILWL11/X2016S and 8114/10956/16-1 are the best suited for its cultivation and may scaled up for future breeding programme
Essays in Finance and Macroeconomics: Household Financial Obligations and the Equity Premium
No full textabstract: This dissertation is a collection of three essays relating household financial obligations to asset prices. Financial obligations include both debt payments and other financial commitments.
In the first essay, I investigate how household financial obligations affect the equity premium. I modify the standard Mehra-Prescott (1985) consumption-based asset pricing model to resolve the equity risk premium puzzle. I focus on two channels: the preference channel and the borrowing constraints channel. Under reasonable parameterizations, my model generates equity risk premiums similar in magnitudes to those observed in U.S. data. Furthermore, I show that relaxing the borrowing constraint shrinks the equity risk premium.
In the Second essay, I test the predictability of excess market returns using the household financial obligations ratio. I show that deviations in the household financial obligations ratio from its long-run mean is a better forecaster of future market returns than alternative prediction variables. The results remain significant using either quarterly or annual data and are robust to out-of-sample tests.
In the third essay, I investigate whether the risk associated with household financial obligations is an economy-wide risk with the potential to explain fluctuations in the cross-section of stock returns. The multifactor model I propose, is a modification of the capital asset pricing model that includes the financial obligations ratio as a ``conditioning down" variable. The key finding is that there is an aggregate hedging demand for securities that pay off in periods characterized by higher levels of financial obligations ratios. The consistent pricing of financial obligations risk with a negative risk premium suggests that the financial obligations ratio acts as a state variable.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Economics 201
Development of instrumentation for acoustic monitoring
No full textThis thesis describes a source/sink flow acoustic wave sensor for the identification of leaks in gas pipelines. One of the many type of signals associated with the high velocity gas flowing out of a hole in the pipeline is the ramp or step pressure drop.;A large 3-inch diameter diaphragm was installed in an attempt to detect the low frequency waves associated with a leak. This diaphragm with source or sink flow through a 17mm internal diameter pipe acts as a pressure signal amplifier.;The deflection of the diaphragm due to the amplified force can be measured with a strain gage whose voltage is proportional to this deflection. A microphone should be used to record high frequency sound generated by the fluid inside the transmission line. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Effects of varying body forces on isothermal and non isothermal liquid jet impingement
No full textLiquid jet impingement is often used to cool heated surfaces encountered in various industrial applications. Such applications include cooling of electronic components and annealing of metals. Liquid jet impingement investigations primarily involve submerged jets and less commonly free liquid jets. Most of the studies done on both submerged jet impingement and free liquid jet impingement are done under terrestrial gravity conditions. There have been few studies on liquid jet impingement under non terrestrial conditions in zero or non zero gravitational force or of electrical body forces. These conditions are expected to result in significantly different flow patterns and heat transfer compared to terrestrial gravity.;The relatively uncommon forces like the electric Kelvin force could significantly affect the heat transfer and flow characteristics of an impinging liquid jet. As per one of the objectives of this research, an electrode arrangement was designed to obtain a uniform electric Kelvin body force acting in a direction opposite to the impinging jet. Another objective was to assess the effects of varying gravity on heat transfer to an impinging jet. Simulation results involving liquid jet impingement with different body forces are presented in this dissertation. These results were obtained with the aid of a commercial multiphysics code called CFD-ACE+.;The isothermal set of simulations included the electric Kelvin force as the source term, while in the non isothermal cases gravity was varied from 0 to 1.5 g in the increments of 0.5 g. The transient effects of the electric Kelvin force were observed in the isothermal simulations while in the non isothermal simulations it was found that for low velocities the heat transfer from an impinging liquid jet was enhanced as the gravitational force was increased
The Romanticization of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse in Young Adult Media
No full textabstract: The following creative project defends that, whether intentionally or not, mental illness and substance abuse are inevitably romanticized in young adult media and discusses the dangers of this romanticization. This project is divided into three parts. The first part consists of psychological evaluations of the main characters of two popular, contemporary forms of young adult media, Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger and Euphoria by Sam Levinson. These evaluations use textual evidence and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) to determine what symptoms of psychopathology the characters appear to display. The second part consists of a self-written short story that is meant to accurately depict the life of a young adult struggling with mental illness and substance abuse. This story contains various aesthetic techniques borrowed from the two young adult media forms. The final part consists of an aesthetic statement which discusses in depth the aesthetic techniques employed within the short story, Quicksand by Anisha Mehra. (abstract
Modelling of Integrated Optical Modulator using Ring Resonator with Graphene assisted SOI Ridge waveguide
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