Scalar gradient behaviour in MILD combustion

The results of three-dimensional Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of Moderate, Intense Low-oxygen Dilution (MILD) and conventional premixed turbulent combustion conducted using a skeletal mechanism including the effects of nonunity Lewis numbers and temperature dependent transport properties are analysed to investigate combustion characteristics using scalar gradient information. The DNS data is also used to synthesise laser induced fluorescence (LIF) signals of OH, CH2O, and CHO. These signals are analysed to verify if they can be used to study turbulent MILD combustion and it has been observed that at least two (OH and CH2O) LIF signals are required since the OH increase across the reaction zone is smaller inMILD combustion compared to premixed combustion. The scalar gradient PDFs conditioned on the reaction rate obtained from the DNS data and synthesised LIF signals suggests a strong gradient in the direction normal to the MILD reaction zone with moderate reaction rate implying flamelet combustion. However, the PDF of the normal gradient is as broad as for the tangential gradient when the reaction rate is high. This suggests a non-flamelet behaviour, which is due to interaction of reaction zones. The analysis of the conditional PDFs for the premixed case confirms the expected behaviour of scalar gradient in flamelet combustion. It has been shown that the LIF signals synthesised using 2D slices of DNS data also provide very similar insights. These results demonstrate that the so-called flameless combustion is not an idealised homogeneous reactive mixture but has common features of conventional combustion while containing distinctive characteristics.The financial supports of Nippon Keidanren, Cambridge Overseas Trust and EPSRC are acknowledged. The direct simulations were made using the facilities of HECToR, the UK’s national high-performance computing service, which is provided by UoE HPCx Ltd at the University of Edinburgh, Cray Inc and NAG Ltd, and funded by the Office of Science and Technology through EPSRCs High End Computing Programme.This is the accepted manuscript. The final published version is available from Elsevier at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010218013003799

Modelling paradigms for MILD combustion

Three-dimensional Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) data of methane-air MILD combustion is analysed to study the behaviour of MILD reaction zones and to identify a suitable modelling paradigm for MILD combustion. The combustion kinetics in the DNS was modelled using a skeletal mechanism including non-unity Lewis number effects. The reaction zones under MILD conditions are highly convoluted and contorted resulting in their frequent interactions. This leads to combustion occurring over a large portion of the computational volume and giving an appearance of distributed combustion. Three paradigms, standard flamelets, mild flame elements (MIFEs) and PSR, along with a presumed PDF model are explored to estimate the mean and filtered reaction rate in MILD combustion. A beta function is used to estimate the presumed PDF shape. The variations of species mass fractions and reaction rate with temperature computed using thesemodels are compared to the DNS results. The PSR-based model is found to be appropriate, since the conditional averages obtained from the DNS agree well with those obtained using the PSR model. The flamelets model with MIFEs gives only a qualitative agreement because it does not include the effects of reaction zone interactions.YM acknowledges the financial support of Nippon Keidanren and Cambridge Overseas Trust. EPSRC support is acknowledged by NS. This work made use of the facilities of HECToR, the UK’s national high-performance computing service, which is provided by UoE HPCx Ltd at the University of Edinburgh, Cray Inc and NAG Ltd, and funded by the Office of Science and Technology through EPSRCs High End Computing Programme.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12572-014-0106-x

Morphological and statistical features of reaction zones in MILD and premixed combustion

Direct numerical simulation (DNS) results of turbulent MILD premixed and conventional (undiluted) premixed combustion have been investigated to shed light on the physical aspects of reaction zones and their morphology inMILD combustion. Results of a premixed case are used for comparative analyses. The analyses show that the regions with strong chemical activity in MILD combustion are distributed over a substantial portion of the computational domain unlike in the premixed case where these regions are confined to a small portion of the domain. Also, interactions of reaction zones are observed in MILD combustion with their spatial extent increasing with dilution level. These interactions give an appearance of distributed combustion for MILD conditions. The morphology of these reaction zones is investigated using the Minkowski functionals and shapefinders commonly employed in cosmology. Predominant sheet-like structures are observed for the premixed combustion case whereas a pancake-like structure is observed as the most probable shape for the MILD cases. Spatial and statistical analyses of various fluxes involved in a progress variable transport equation are conducted to study autoignitive or propagative characteristics of MILD reaction zones. The results suggest that there are local regions with autoignition, propagating-flames, and their coexistence for the conditions considered in this study. Typically, reaction dominated or ignition front and propagating-flame dominated regions are entangled for high dilution cases. Scalar gradient plays a strong role on whether reaction or propagating-flame dominated activities are favoured locally.YM acknowledges the financial support of Nippon Keidanren and Cambridge Overseas Trust. EPSRC support is acknowledged by NS. This work made use of the facilities of HECToR, the UK’s national high-performance computing service, which is provided by UoE HPCx Ltd at the University of Edinburgh, Cray Inc and NAG Ltd, and funded by the Office of Science and Technology through EPSRCs High End Computing Programme.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001021801400128X

Faecal microbiota in dogs with multicentric lymphoma

Malignant lymphoma B-cell type is the most common canine haematopoietic malignancy. Changes in intestinal microbiota have been implicated in few types of cancer in humans. The aim of this prospective and case-control study was to determine differences in faecal microbiota between healthy control dogs and dogs with multicentric lymphoma. Twelve dogs affected by multicentric, B-cell, stage III-IV lymphoma, and 21 healthy dogs were enrolled in the study. For each dog, faecal samples were analysed by Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and quantitative PCR (qPCR) for selected bacterial groups. Alpha diversity was significant lower in lymphoma dogs. Principal coordinate analysis plots showed different microbial clustering (P=.001) and linear discriminant analysis effect size revealed 28 differentially abundant bacterial groups in lymphoma and control dogs. The qPCR analysis showed significant lower abundance of Faecalibacterium spp. (q<.001), Fusobacterium spp. (q=.032), and Turicibacter spp. (q=.043) in dogs with lymphoma compared with control dogs. On the contrary, Streptococcus spp. was significantly higher in dogs with lymphoma (q=.041). The dysbiosis index was significantly higher (P<.0001) in dogs with lymphoma. In conclusion, both sequencing and qPCR analyses provided a global overview of faecal microbial communities and showed significant differences in the microbial communities of dogs presenting with multicentric lymphoma compared with healthy control dogs

Gastrointestinal microorganisms in cats and dogs: a brief review

RESUMEN El tracto gastrointestinal (GI) de animales contiene diferentes tipos de microorganismos conocido como la microbiota GI. Por mucho tiempo, la microbiota GI ha generado interés porque los microorganismos GI están involucrados en múltiples procesos fisiológicos en el hospedero, así perpetuando salud o enfermedad. Estudios recientes han demostrado que la microbiota GI de gatos y perros es tan compleja como en humanos y otros animales, revelado con el uso de tecnologías de secuencia modernas y otras técnicas moleculares. La microbiota GI incluye miembros de todos los tres dominios principales de vida (Archaea, Bacterias y Eucariotas), pero las bacterias son el grupo de microorganismos más abundante y metabólicamente activo. El estómago de gatos y perros esta principalmente poblado de Helicobacter spp., el cual en perros puede representar tanto como el 98% de toda la microbiota bacteriana en el estómago. El intestino delgado contiene una microbiota más diversa, conteniendo representantes de al menos cinco diferentes filos bacterianos (principalmente Firmicutes y Bacteroidetes). El intestino grueso contiene el grupo de bacterias más abundante (~1011 células bacterianas por gramo de contenido intestinal), diverso (al menos diez diferentes filos han sido detectados) y metabólicamente relevante en el tracto GI. La mayoría de las bacterias en el intestino grueso son anaerobios estrictos, los cuales dependen de la fermentación de sustancias no digeridas para subsistir. Aunque estudios recientes han dilucidado las complejidades de la microbiota GI en gatos y perros, más investigación todavía es necesaria para encontrar maneras de manipular exitosamente los microorganismos GI para prevenir y/o tratar enfermedades GI. ABSTRACT The gastrointestinal (GI) tract of animals contains different types of microorganisms known as the GI microbiota. The GI microbiota has long been of interest because of its involvement in multiple physiological processes in the host, influencing health or disease. Recent studies have shown that the GI microbiota of cats and dogs is as complex as the one present in humans and other animals, according to state-of-the-art sequencing technologies and other molecular techniques. The GI microbiota includes members of all three main life domains (Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukaryotes), with bacteria being the most abundant and metabolically active group of microorganisms. The stomach of cats and dogs is mainly inhabited by Helicobacter spp., which in dogs may account for as much as 98% of all gastric bacterial microbiota. The small intestine harbors a more diverse microbiota as it contains representatives from at least five bacterial phyla (mainly Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes). The large intestine harbors the most abundant (~1011 bacterial cells per gram of intestinal content), diverse (at least 10 bacterial phyla have been identified) and physiologically relevant group of bacteria in the GI tract. Most bacteria in the large intestine are strict anaerobes that depend on fermentation of non-digested dietary substances to subsist. Although recent studies are shedding light into the complexity of the GI microbiota in cats and dogs, further research is needed to find ways to successfully manipulate GI microorganisms to prevent and/or treat GI diseases

DNS of MILD combustion with mixture fraction variations

Direct numerical simulations of Moderate or Intense Low-oxygen Dilution combustion inside a cubical domain are performed. The computational do- main is specified with inflow and outflow boundary conditions in one direction and periodic conditions in the other two directions. The inflowing mixture is constructed carefully in a preprocessing step and has spatially varying mixture fraction and reaction progress variable field. Thus, this mixture in- cludes a range of thermo-chemical state for a given mixture fraction value. The combustion kinetics is modelled using a 58-step skeletal mechanism in- cluding a chemiluminescent species, OH∗, for methane-air combustion. The study of reaction zone structures in the physical and mixture fraction spaces shows the presence of ignition fronts, lean and rich premixed flames and non-premixed combustion. These three modes of combustion are observed without the typical triple-flame structure and this results from the spatio-temporally varying mixture fraction field undergoing turbulent mixing and reaction. The flame index and its pdf are analysed to estimate the fractional contributions from these combustion modes to the total heat release rate. The lean premixed mode is observed to be quite dominant and contribution of non-premixed mode increased from about 11% to 20% when the mean oxygen mole fraction in the inflowing mixture is reduced from about 2.7% to 1.6%. Also, the non-premixed contribution increases if one decreases the integral length scale of the mixture fraction field. All of these results and observations are explained on physical basis.N.A.K.D. acknowledges the financial support of the Qualcomm European Research Studentship Fund in Technology. This work used the ARCHER UK National Supercomputing Service (http://www.archer.ac.uk) using computing time provided by EPSRC under the RAP project number e419 and the UKCTRF (e305). NS acknowledges the support of EPSRC. Y. M. acknowledges the support of JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) Grant Number 16K18026

Oral chondroitin sulfate and prebiotics for the treatment of canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a randomized, controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND Canine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic enteropathy of unknown etiology, although microbiome dysbiosis, genetic susceptibility, and dietary and/or environmental factors are hypothesized to be involved in its pathogenesis. Since some of the current therapies are associated with severe side effects, novel therapeutic modalities are needed. A new oral supplement for long-term management of canine IBD containing chondroitin sulfate (CS) and prebiotics (resistant starch, β-glucans and mannaoligosaccharides) was developed to target intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress, and restore normobiosis, without exhibiting any side effects. This double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in dogs with IBD aims to evaluate the effects of 180 days administration of this supplement together with a hydrolyzed diet on clinical signs, intestinal histology, gut microbiota, and serum biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress. RESULTS Twenty-seven client-owned biopsy-confirmed IBD dogs were included in the study, switched to the same hydrolyzed diet and classified into one of two groups: supplement and placebo. Initially, there were no significant differences between groups (p > 0.05) for any of the studied parameters. Final data analysis (supplement: n = 9; placebo: n = 10) showed a significant decrease in canine IBD activity index (CIBDAI) score in both groups after treatment (p < 0.001). After treatment, a significant decrease (1.53-fold; p < 0.01) in histologic score was seen only in the supplement group. When groups were compared, the supplement group showed significantly higher serum cholesterol (p < 0.05) and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) levels after 60 days of treatment (p < 0.01), and the placebo group showed significantly reduced serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels after 120 days (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between groups at any time point for CIBDAI, WSAVA histologic score and fecal microbiota evaluated by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). No side effects were reported in any group. CONCLUSIONS The combined administration of the supplement with hydrolyzed diet over 180 days was safe and induced improvements in selected serum biomarkers, possibly suggesting a reduction in disease activity. This study was likely underpowered, therefore larger studies are warranted in order to demonstrate a supplemental effect to dietary treatment of this supplement on intestinal histology and CIBDAI

Quercetin prevents progression of disease in elastase/LPS-exposed mice by negatively regulating MMP expression

Abstract Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic bronchitis, emphysema and irreversible airflow limitation. These changes are thought to be due to oxidative stress and an imbalance of proteases and antiproteases. Quercetin, a plant flavonoid, is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. We hypothesized that quercetin reduces lung inflammation and improves lung function in elastase/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-exposed mice which show typical features of COPD, including airways inflammation, goblet cell metaplasia, and emphysema. Methods Mice treated with elastase and LPS once a week for 4 weeks were subsequently administered 0.5 mg of quercetin dihydrate or 50% propylene glycol (vehicle) by gavage for 10 days. Lungs were examined for elastance, oxidative stress, inflammation, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. Effects of quercetin on MMP transcription and activity were examined in LPS-exposed murine macrophages. Results Quercetin-treated, elastase/LPS-exposed mice showed improved elastic recoil and decreased alveolar chord length compared to vehicle-treated controls. Quercetin-treated mice showed decreased levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, a measure of lipid peroxidation caused by oxidative stress. Quercetin also reduced lung inflammation, goblet cell metaplasia, and mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and muc5AC. Quercetin treatment decreased the expression and activity of MMP9 and MMP12 in vivo and in vitro, while increasing expression of the histone deacetylase Sirt-1 and suppressing MMP promoter H4 acetylation. Finally, co-treatment with the Sirt-1 inhibitor sirtinol blocked the effects of quercetin on the lung phenotype. Conclusions Quercetin prevents progression of emphysema in elastase/LPS-treated mice by reducing oxidative stress, lung inflammation and expression of MMP9 and MMP12.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78260/1/1465-9921-11-131.xmlhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78260/2/1465-9921-11-131.pdfPeer Reviewe

Customized Order-Entry Sets Can Prevent Antiretroviral Prescribing Errors: A Novel Opportunity For Antimicrobial Stewardship

Background: Patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on antiretroviral (ARV) therapy are at increased risk for medication errors during transitions of care between the outpatient and inpatient settings. This can lead to treatment failure or toxicity. Previous studies have emphasized the prevalence of medication errors in such patients, but few have reported initiatives to prevent errors from occurring. Methods: The study was conducted in a 1,400-bed health care center with a state-designated Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Center in the Bronx, New York. The antimicrobial stewardship team and HIV specialists developed customized order-entry sets (COES) to guide ARV prescribing and retrospectively reviewed their effect on error rates of initial ARV orders for inpatients before reconciliation. Patient records were reviewed in six-month periods before and after intervention. The student’s t-test or Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare continuous variables; chi-square or Fisher’s exact test was used for categorical variables. Results: A total of 723 and 661 admissions were included in the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods, respectively. Overall, error rates decreased by 35% (38.0% to 24.8%, P \u3c 0.01) with COES. Wrong doses and drug interactions decreased by more than 40% (P \u3c 0.005). Error reductions were observed in protease inhibitor (PI)-based (43.6% versus 28.7%, P \u3c 0.01) and non–PI-based (38.0% versus 24.4%, P = 0.02) regimens with COES. A shift in predominant drug-class errors was observed as there was a trend toward increased usage of non-PI regimens post-intervention. Admission in the pre-intervention period (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–2.31) and use of PI-based regimens (AOR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.53–2.70) remained significantly associated with ARV prescribing errors after controlling for confounding factors. Conclusion: Detailed COES improved ARV prescribing habits, reduced the potential for prescribing incorrect regimens, and can prove useful and cost-effective where HIV-specific medication reconciliation is unavailable

Faecal microbiota in dogs with multicentric lymphoma

Malignant lymphoma B-cell type is the most common canine haematopoietic malignancy. Changes in intestinal microbiota have been implicated in few types of cancer in humans. The aim of this prospective and case-control study was to determine differences in faecal microbiota between healthy control dogs and dogs with multicentric lymphoma. Twelve dogs affected by multicentric, B-cell, stage III-IV lymphoma, and 21 healthy dogs were enrolled in the study. For each dog, faecal samples were analysed by Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and quantitative PCR (qPCR) for selected bacterial groups. Alpha diversity was significant lower in lymphoma dogs. Principal coordinate analysis plots showed different microbial clustering (P = .001) and linear discriminant analysis effect size revealed 28 differentially abundant bacterial groups in lymphoma and control dogs. The qPCR analysis showed significant lower abundance of Faecalibacterium spp. (q &lt; .001), Fusobacterium spp. (q = .032), and Turicibacter spp. (q = .043) in dogs with lymphoma compared with control dogs. On the contrary, Streptococcus spp. was significantly higher in dogs with lymphoma (q = .041). The dysbiosis index was significantly higher (P &lt; .0001) in dogs with lymphoma. In conclusion, both sequencing and qPCR analyses provided a global overview of faecal microbial communities and showed significant differences in the microbial communities of dogs presenting with multicentric lymphoma compared with healthy control dogs.dog