General uncertainty analysis was used to evaluate the performance of a Rocket-Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) engine system. To estimate the uncertainties of test results, uncertainties of basic measurements such as temperature, pressure, mass flow rate, and thrust were determined. The desired test results of interest included specific impulse and characteristic velocity. Various possible test facilities were reviewed to obtain background information and example test run conditions. Based on the test run conditions, five methods of determining specific impulse were evaluated. Also, theoretical and actual characteristic velocities were analyzed to evaluate C* efficiency. Initially, general uncertainty analyses were completed relative to 1% accuracy for each measured variable. Then, cases were run using more realistic uncertainty estimates. The relative contributions of the different variables? uncertainties to the overall uncertainty of the selected performance parameters were also calculated. This process helps to identify the critical measurements from an uncertainty standpoint and can be a significant guide in the cost effective use of resources to reduce the test uncertainty.

[Truncated abstract] Erythropoietin (Epo) is a glycoprotein hormone involved in the formation of erythrocytes, by controlling survival, differentiation and proliferation. The technique of cDNA Representational Difference Analysis was utilized to investigate J2E-NR cells that demonstrate a viability response to Epo, but not differentiation or proliferation. The aim of this project was to identify genes that may be upregulated in response to Epo-induced survival; however, no change in gene expression was detected. This was most probably because any changes were below the limit of detectability for the cDNA RDA technique, or the viability effect was mediated post-transcriptionally. Next, it was decided to investigate HLS5, a putative tumour suppressor that was identified in a myeloid variant of the J2E cell line and had been shown to cause apoptosis. A number of HeLa cell lines inducible for Hls5 expression using the tet-off system were produced; despite extremely low expression, Hls5 was shown to produce marked suppression of growth and proliferation, particularly in colony assays colony size and numbers were halved for one induced clone. … A number of haemopoiesis-associated genes were downregulated (viz. globin genes and the Epo receptor gene), which suggested Hls5s role in the myeloid variant of J2E cells, may be to suppress genes expressed in the erythroid lineage. In addition, several interferon-responsive genes were decreased in cells with elevated HLS5, suggesting it may play a role in negatively regulating interferon signaling. Online databases were also searched for information on HLS5, and showed that it is significantly downregulated in liver, lung and uterine cancers, supporting the proposition that HLS5 is a tumour suppressor gene. In summary, a number of approaches were taken to identify the effects of the Hls5 protein. It appears that it strongly suppresses proliferation and that this is likely mediated through an effect on mitosis. This may also result in apoptosis of overexpressing cells. It is possible that this is the mechanism through which HLS5 exerts its potential tumour suppressor function, as a number of tumour suppressors appear to be associated with mitosis/apoptosis control. Hls5 is also likely to have other functions in haemopoietic cells, which includes downregulation of erythroid-specific genes and suppression of interferon responses.

An automated computer simulation of the two-dimensional planar Cal Poly Supersonic Ejector test rig is developed. The purpose of the simulation is to identify the operating conditions which produce the saturated, Fabri choke and Fabri block aerodynamic flow patterns. The effect of primary to secondary stagnation pressure ratio on the efficiency of the ejector operation is measured using the entrainment ratio which is the secondary to primary mass flow ratio. The primary flow of the ejector is supersonic and the secondary (entrained) stream enters the ejector at various velocities at or below Mach 1. The primary and secondary streams are both composed of air. The primary plume boundary and properties are solved using the Method of Characteristics. The properties within the secondary stream are found using isentropic relations along with stagnation conditions and the shape of the primary plume. The solutions of the primary and secondary streams iterate on a pressure distribution of the secondary stream until a converged solution is attained. Viscous forces and thermo-chemical reactions are not considered. For the given geometry the saturated flow pattern is found to occur below stagnation pressure ratios of 74. The secondary flow of the ejector becomes blocked by the primary plume above pressure ratios of 230. The Fabri choke case exists between pressure ratios of 74 and 230, achieving optimal operation at the transition from saturated to Fabri choked flow, near the pressure ratio of 74. The case of optimal expansion yields an entrainment ratio of 0.17. The entrainment ratio results of the Cal Poly Supersonic Ejector simulation have an average error of 3.67% relative to experimental data. The accuracy of this inviscid simulation suggests ejector operation in this regime is governed by pressure gradient rather than viscous effects.