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Alport syndrome is experiencing a remarkable increase in preclinical investigations. To proactively address the needs of the Alport syndrome community, as well as offer clarity for future clinical research sponsors, the Alport Syndrome Foundation hosted a workshop to generate consensus recommendations for prospective trials for conventional drugs. Opinions of key stakeholders were carefully considered, including those of the biopharmaceutical industry representatives, academic researchers, clinicians, regulatory agency representatives, and—most critically—patients with Alport syndrome. Recommendations were established for preclinical researchers, the use and selection of biomarkers, standards of care, clinical trial designs, trial eligibility criteria and outcomes, pediatric trial considerations, and considerations for patient engagement, recruitment, and treatment. This paper outlines their recommendations.

Alternating current voltage (60 cycles/sec.) was found to increase boiling heat transfer rates and prevent film boiling for deionized water under forced convection at essentially ambient pressure. Steam was used to supply heat to the interior wall of a 0.292-in. thick annulus, and voltages up to 5,000 v. were impressed across the region of vapor formation. The highest heat transfer rates reached were approximately twice the normal nucleate boiling peak. The application of voltage increased the boiling heat transfer over the entire range tested—mass flow rates up to 5.2 × 105 lb./hr.-sq.ft. and exit qualities up to 4% by weight vapor. Data obtained from tests in which the external wall of the flow annulus was heated indicated an increase in heat flux up to 2,000 v., followed by a decrease in heat flux at voltages above 2,000 v.