Analysis of fluid/mechanical systems using EASY5

This paper illustrates how the use of a general analysis package can simplify modeling and analyzing fluid/mechanical systems. One such package is EASY5, a Boeing Computer Services product. The basic transmission line equations for modeling piped fluid systems are presented, as well as methods of incorporating these equations into the EASY5 environment. The paper describes how this analysis tool has been used to model several fluid subsystems of the Space Shuttle Orbiter

Vocabulary learning from watching YouTube videos and reading blog posts

This study compared second language vocabulary acquisition from engagement with two different online media: written blog posts and video blogs. It also explored whether there were differences between which aspects of vocabulary knowledge (i.e., orthography, semantics, and grammatical function) were best learned from these media. The results showed that incidental vocabulary learning occurred in approximately equal amounts from reading blog posts and watching video blogs. There were some indications that different types of vocabulary knowledge were gained from the two types of media. The written blog entries promoted greater gains in orthographic knowledge than the videos. There was also tentative evidence that the videos promoted greater recall of the target words’ grammatical functions and greater recognition and recall of their meanings

The World Bank Approach to Food Security Analysis

Summary In 1988, the Executive Directors of the World Bank agreed to a new food security initiative for Africa. The purpose of the initiative is to reduce over time Africa's pervasive hunger. To pave the way to do so, the Bank is working with other donors and African Governments to prepare Food security action plans for individual African states. The analytical elements to developing these action plans are: the macroeconomy; the microeconomy (households); food availability; food consumption; and market intermediation. Findings of the work so far include the following: 1) defining the food insecure is an effective way to map poverty; 2) food insecurity is more pervasive in Africa than anticipated; 3) increasing agricultural output in African remains an important goal; and 4) understanding the role of gender in household decsion?making is vital to improved food security

The evolution of transcription-associated biases of mutations across vertebrates

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The interplay between transcription and mutational processes can lead to particular mutation patterns in transcribed regions of the genome. Transcription introduces several biases in mutational patterns; in particular it invokes strand specific mutations. In order to understand the forces that have shaped transcripts during evolution, one has to study mutation patterns associated with transcription across animals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using multiple alignments of related species we estimated the regional single-nucleotide substitution patterns along genes in four vertebrate taxa: primates, rodents, laurasiatheria and bony fishes. Our analysis is focused on intronic and intergenic regions and reveals differences in the patterns of substitution asymmetries between mammals and fishes. In mammals, the levels of asymmetries are stronger for genes starting within CpG islands than in genes lacking this property. In contrast to all other species analyzed, we found a mutational pressure in dog and stickleback, promoting an increase of GC-contents in the proximity to transcriptional start sites.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We propose that the asymmetric patterns in transcribed regions are results of transcription associated mutagenic processes and transcription coupled repair, which both seem to evolve in a taxon related manner. We also discuss alternative mechanisms that can generate strand biases and involves error prone DNA polymerases and reverse transcription. A localized increase of the GC content near the transcription start site is a signature of biased gene conversion (BGC) that occurs during recombination and heteroduplex formation. Since dog and stickleback are known to be subject to rapid adaptations due to population bottlenecks and breeding, we further hypothesize that an increase in recombination rates near gene starts has been part of an adaptive process.</p

Einfluss der selektiven Mineralokortikoid-Rezeptor-Blockade (Eplerenon) in einem murinen Virusmyokarditismodell

Einleitung Die Virusmyokarditis ist eine der häufigsten Ursachen für die Entwicklung einer Herzinsuffizienz oder das Erleiden eines plötzlichen Herztods bei jungen Erwachsenen. Wichtig für die Pathogenese sind myokardiale Entzündungsreaktionen, Apoptose und Remodeling. Verschiedene Untersuchungen konnten eine Beeinflussung dieser Prozesse durch erhöhte Aldosteron-Gewebekonzentrationen nachweisen. Studien an Herzinfarktpatienten zeigten eine Reduktion der Herzinsuffizienzentwicklung durch einen selektiven Mineralokortikoidrezeptor (MR)-Antagonismus. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht den Einfluss einer selektiven MR-Blockade in einem murinen Virusmyokarditis-Modell. Material und Methoden Die SWR/J-Mäuse wurden mit dem Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infiziert und entwickelten eine Myokarditis. Eine Kontrollgruppe wurde scheininfiziert. Die Tiere wurden anschließend täglich mit dem selektiven MR-Antagonisten Eplerenon oder Plazebo behandelt. Nach 8 bzw. 28 Tagen wurde die kardiale Hämodynamik mittels Konduktanzkatheter untersucht. Anschließend wurden Entzündungsreaktion, Apoptoserate und myokardiales Remodeling mittels Zymographie, histochemischer sowie immunhistochemischer Untersuchungen und reverser Transkription mit konsekutiver quantitativer Echtzeit-Polymerasekettenreaktion (RT-qPCR) analysiert. Ergebnisse Die CVB3-infizierten Tiere entwickelten eine zeitlich progrediente linksventrikuläre Dilatation und Dysfunktion. Sie zeigten vor allem am 8. Versuchstag eine ausgeprägte myokardiale Entzündungsreaktion, erhöhte Apoptoserate und ein gesteigertes myokardiales Remodeling. Verglichen mit der Plazebo-Therapie reduzierte der selektive MR Antagonismus signifikant die Entwicklung der linksventrikulären Dilatation und Dysfunktion nach 8 und ausgeprägter nach 28 Therapietagen. Auch eine signifikante Reduktion der myokardialen Entzündungsreaktion war nachweisbar. Sie war deutlich nach 8 Tagen und geringer nach 28 Versuchstagen ausgeprägt. Ebenso war Apoptoserate nach 8-tägiger selektiver MR-Blockade im Vergleich zur Plazebo-Therapie vermindert. Das myokardiale Remodeling wurde ebenfalls positiv beeinflusst. Die Aktivität des Matrixmetalloproteasen (MMP)/ Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteases (TIMP)-Systems war hauptsächlich nach 8 und der Anstieg des Kollagen I- und Gesamtkollegengehaltes waren vor allem nach 28 Therapietagen signifikant geringer. Schlussfolgerung Der selektive MR Antagonismus verringert in einem CVB3 induzierten murinen Myokarditis-Modell die myokardiale Entzündungsreaktion, die Apoptoserate und das myokardiale Remodeling. Hierdurch werden die Entwicklung einer linksventrikulären Dilatation und Dysfunktion reduziert.Background Viral myocarditis is a common cause of congestive heart failure and sudden cardiac death in young adults. Myocardial inflammation, apoptosis and remodeling are important for its pathogenesis. Various examinations have shown that these processes can be influenced by elevated aldosterone levels. Studies of patients with myocardial infarction revealed a reduced progression of congestive heart failure by selective mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonism. Therefore this study investigates the influence of selective MR blockade in a murine viral myocarditis model. Material and methods SWR/J mice were infected with Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) to establish a viral myocarditis. A control group was sham infected. Half of the animals were treated with the selective MR antagonist eplerenone or placebo daily. Cardiac hemodynamic was measured after 8 and 28 treatment days by conductance catheter technique. Subsequently, myocardial inflammation, apoptosis and remodeling were analyzed by zymography, reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), histochemistry and immunohistochemistry. Results With increasing time post infection CVB3-infected mice developed a left ventricular dilation and dysfunction. They developed a marked myocardial inflammation, increased apoptosis and aggravated myocardial remodeling 8 days after infection. Treatment with selective MR antagonist reduced the development of left ventricular dilation and dysfunction after 8, but especially after 28 treatment days. Myocardial inflammation was significantly decreased. Its diminution was noticeably detectable after 8 but hardly after 28 treatment days. Myocardial apoptosis was reduced after 8 treatment days. Myocardial remodeling was positively influenced as well. Activation of matrix-metalloprotease (MMP)/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteases (TIMP) system was preeminently reduced after 8 treatment days. Collagen I and total collagen decreased in particular after 28 treatment days. Conclusion By reducing myocardial inflammation, apoptosis and affecting myocardial remodeling positively selective MR antagonism reduced formation of left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction in a CVB3-induced murine myocarditis model

The evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of google searches

Real-time data is essential for policymakers to adapt to a rapidly evolving situation like the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from 221 countries and territories, we demonstrate the capacity of Google search data to anticipate reported COVID-19 cases and understand how containment policies are associated with changes in socioeconomic indicators. First, search interest in COVID-specific symptoms such as “loss of smell” strongly correlated with cases initially, but the association diminished as COVID-19 evolved; general terms such as “COVID symptoms” remained strongly associated with cases. Moreover, trends in search interest preceded trends in reported cases, particularly in the first year of the pandemic. Second, countries with more restrictive containment policies experienced greater search interest in unemployment and mental health terms after policies were implemented, indicating socio-economic externalities. Higher-income countries experienced a larger increase in searches related to unemployment and a larger reduction in relationship and family planning keywords relative to lower-income countries. The results demonstrate that real-time search interest can be a valuable tool to inform policies across multiple stages of the pandemic

National Climate Assessment Indicators: Background, Development, and Examples

This paper establishes a rationale for developing a system of indicators for an ongoing national climate assessment process. It lays out a framework for a set of climate-related indicators that have an end-to-end character, e.g. they will provide information on greenhouse gases, variability and change in the climate system, status and trends of important sectors that are known to be sensitive to climate variability, and response strategies. Examples of potential indicators are shown in each category. These are by no means a final set of indicators, because an overall process for selection with participation from important stakeholders has not yet been undertaken. But even this initial set of possibilities reveals both where there is a substantial amount of well-documented information, and where there are important gaps that must be filled by subsequent research

A Higher Call: A Story of Hope

On December 20, 1943, Charlie Brown’s B-17 Flying Fortress was on a bombing run over Germany when it sustained heavy damage. It was limping its way out of Germany when it encountered a Messerschmitt BF-107. Despite the damage done to German cities by United States bombing, the Messerschmitt did not fire on the wounded plane. A Higher Call by Adam Makos tells the story of the pilots and the planes. It is more than just a war story. It is the story of grace and mercy. It is the story of respect between enemies. It is the story of the survival of the spirit during a long war. It is the story of hope

Gene Order Phylogeny and the Evolution of Methanogens

Methanogens are a phylogenetically diverse group belonging to Euryarchaeota. Previously, phylogenetic approaches using large datasets revealed that methanogens can be grouped into two classes, “Class I” and “Class II”. However, some deep relationships were not resolved. For instance, the monophyly of “Class I” methanogens, which consist of Methanopyrales, Methanobacteriales and Methanococcales, is disputable due to weak statistical support. In this study, we use MSOAR to identify common orthologous genes from eight methanogen species and a Thermococcale species (outgroup), and apply GRAPPA and FastME to compute distance-based gene order phylogeny. The gene order phylogeny supports two classes of methanogens, but it differs from the original classification of methanogens by placing Methanopyrales and Methanobacteriales together with Methanosarcinales in Class II rather than with Methanococcales. This study suggests a new classification scheme for methanogens. In addition, it indicates that gene order phylogeny can complement traditional sequence-based methods in addressing taxonomic questions for deep relationships