Conceptual Design and Structural Optimization of NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Hybrid Wing Body Aircraft

Simultaneously achieving the fuel consumption and noise reduction goals set forth by NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project requires innovative and unconventional aircraft concepts. In response, advanced hybrid wing body (HWB) aircraft concepts have been proposed and analyzed as a means of meeting these objectives. For the current study, several HWB concepts were analyzed using the Hybrid wing body Conceptual Design and structural optimization (HCDstruct) analysis code. HCDstruct is a medium-fidelity finite element based conceptual design and structural optimization tool developed to fill the critical analysis gap existing between lower order structural sizing approaches and detailed, often finite element based sizing methods for HWB aircraft concepts. Whereas prior versions of the tool used a half-model approach in building the representative finite element model, a full wing-tip-to-wing-tip modeling capability was recently added to HCDstruct, which alleviated the symmetry constraints at the model centerline in place of a free-flying model and allowed for more realistic center body, aft body, and wing loading and trim response. The latest version of HCDstruct was applied to two ERA reference cases, including the Boeing Open Rotor Engine Integration On an HWB (OREIO) concept and the Boeing ERA-0009H1 concept, and results agreed favorably with detailed Boeing design data and related Flight Optimization System (FLOPS) analyses. Following these benchmark cases, HCDstruct was used to size NASA's ERA HWB concepts and to perform a related scaling study

A rat model of picornavirus-induced airway infection and inflammation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infection of the lower airways by rhinovirus, a member of the picornavirus family, is an important cause of wheezing illnesses in infants, and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of rhinovirus-induced asthma exacerbations. Given the absence of natural rhinovirus infections in rodents, we investigated whether an attenuated form of mengovirus, a picornavirus whose wild-type form causes systemic rather than respiratory infections in its natural rodent hosts, could induce airway infections in rats with inflammatory responses similar to those in human rhinovirus infections.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After inoculation with 10⁷plaque-forming units of attenuated mengovirus through an inhalation route, infectious mengovirus was consistently recovered on days 1 and 3 postinoculation from left lung homogenates (median Log₁₀plaque-forming units = 6.0 and 4.8, respectively) and right lung bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (median Log₁₀plaque-forming units = 5.8 and 4.0, respectively). Insufflation of attenuated mengovirus, but not vehicle or UV-inactivated virus, into the lungs of BN rats caused significant increases <it>(P </it>< 0.05) in lower airway neutrophils and lymphocytes in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and patchy peribronchiolar, perivascular, and alveolar cellular infiltrates in lung tissue sections. In addition, infection with attenuated mengovirus significantly increased (<it>P </it>< 0.05) lower airway levels of neutrophil chemoattractant CXCR2 ligands [cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 (CINC-1; CXCL1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2; CXCL2)] and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1; CCL2) in comparison to inoculation with vehicle or UV-inactivated virus.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Attenuated mengovirus caused a respiratory infection in rats with several days of viral shedding accompanied by a lower airway inflammatory response consisting of neutrophils and lymphocytes. These features suggest that mengovirus-induced airway infection in rodents could be a useful model to define mechanisms of rhinovirus-induced airway inflammation in humans.</p

Weltwirtschaftliche Dynamik flaut ab.

Weltkonjunktur; Weltwirtschaft; Welt;

A compressor test facility

This thesis document was issued under the authority of another institution, not NPS. At the time it was written, a copy was added to the NPS Library collection for reasons not now known. It has been included in the digital archive for its historical value to NPS. Not believed to be a CIVINS (Civilian Institutions) title.The operation of gas turbine units over a long period of time had previously been restricted by failure of metals in service. However, with the increasing use of gas turbines on land and sea installations, it is necessary to know at what points the units must be torn down for overhaul. The design of turbines and combustion chambers are relatively insensitive to changes in efficiency due to fouling. The compressor, however, is quite sensitive and small changes in blade shapes effect large changes in efficiency. For this reason, it is necessary to study the effect of fouling on compressor blading. This fouling can come from several sources -- salt particles in the atmosphere over the sea, or dust particles over land. In order the study the effect of this fouling on a compressor, it was necessary that a compressor test facility be designed and built, and this thesis concerned itself with this project.http://www.archive.org/details/compressortestfa00swaiLieutenant, United States NavyCivilian, M.I.T

Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria During Rhinovirus Infection is Associated with Increased Respiratory Symptoms and Exacerbations of Asthma

Background Detection of either viral or bacterial pathogens is associated with wheezing in children, however the influence of both bacteria and virus on illness symptoms has not been described. Objective We evaluated bacterial detection during peak RV season in children with and without asthma to determine if an association exists between bacterial infection and the severity of RV illnesses. Methods 308 children (166 with asthma, 142 without asthma) ages 4–12 years provided five consecutive weekly nasal samples during September, and scored cold and asthma symptoms daily. Viral diagnostics and quantitative PCR for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis were performed on all nasal samples. Results Detection rates were 53%, 17% and 11% for H. influenzae, S. pneumoniae and M. catarrhalis, respectively, with detection of RV increasing the risk of detecting bacteria within the same sample (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4–2.7, p<0.0001) or the following week (OR 1.6 (1.1–2.4), p=0.02). In the absence of RV, S. pneumoniae was associated with increased cold symptoms (mean 2.7 (95% CI 2.0–3.5) vs. 1.8 (1.5–2.2), p=0.006) and moderate asthma exacerbations (18% (12%–27%) vs. 9.2% (6.7%–12%), p=0.006). In the presence of RV, S. pneumoniae was associated with increased moderate asthma exacerbations (22% (16%–29%) vs. 15% (11%–20%), p=0.01). Furthermore, M. catarrhalis detected alongside RV increased the likelihood of experiencing cold and/or asthma symptoms compared to isolated detection of RV (OR 2.0 (1.0–4.1), p=0.04). Regardless of RV status, H. influenzae was not associated with respiratory symptoms. Conclusion RV infection enhances detection of specific bacterial pathogens in children with and without asthma. Furthermore, these findings suggest that M. catarrhalis and S. pneumoniae contribute to the severity of respiratory illnesses, including exacerbations of asthma

Weltkonjunktur und deutsche Konjunktur im Winter 2007

[Weltwirtschaftliche Dynamik flaut ab] Die Weltproduktion ist 2007 mit einer Rate von voraussichtlich 5,1 nochmals sehr kräftig gestiegen. Gegen Jahresende hat sich das Konjunkturklima jedoch deutlich eingetrübt, vor allem infolge der Immobilienkrise in den USA. Die Krise an den Finanzmärkten ist noch nicht ausgestanden und wird die konjunkturelle Entwicklung vor allem in den Industrieländern weiter belasten. Wir erwarten, dass die Weltkonjunktur im kommenden Jahr merklich an Schwung verliert. In den Industrieländern dürfte das reale BIP spürbar schwächer steigen als das Produktionspotential. Auch in den Schwellenländern lässt die Dynamik voraussichtlich nach, doch wird der Produktionsanstieg im historischen Vergleich hoch bleiben. Aufgrund der offenbar sehr robusten wirtschaftlichen Dynamik außerhalb der Industrieländer haben wir unsere Prognose für den Zuwachs der Weltproduktion im Jahr 2008 im Vergleich zur Prognose vom September sogar leicht - von 4,4 auf 4,5 Prozent - erhöht. Für das Jahr 2009 ist mit einem Anstieg in ähnlicher Größenordnung zu rechnen. - [Deutschland: Gegenwind für Konjunktur und Potentialwachstum] Im vierten Quartal des laufenden Jahres dürfte die gesamtwirtschaftliche Produktion abermals merklich gestiegen sein; im gesamten Jahr 2007 hat sie sich wohl um 2,6 Prozent (Prognose vom September: 2,7 Prozent) erhöht. Im kommenden Jahr erhält die Konjunktur Gegenwind durch die Verschlechterung der weltwirtschaftlichen Rahmenbedingungen und die Anspannungen an den Finanzmärkten. Wir revidieren unsere Prognose für den Anstieg des Bruttoinlandsprodukts im Jahr 2008 von 2,4 auf 1,9 Prozent. Im Jahr 2009 wird der Produktionsanstieg mit 1,6 Prozent vergleichsweise moderat ausfallen. Dafür spielt auch eine Rolle, dass die Wirtschaftspolitik ihren Kurs geändert hat. Mehr und mehr werden Maßnahmen diskutiert und beschlossen, welche die Bedingungen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt wieder verschlechtern und damit das Fundament des Aufschwungs schwächen. --

Inhaled corticosteroid use is associated with increased circulating tregulatory cells in children with asthma

BACKGROUND: T regulatory (Treg) cells are important in balancing immune responses and dysregulation of Treg cells has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple disease states including asthma. In this study, our primary aim was to determine Treg cell frequency in the peripheral blood of children with and without asthma. The secondary aim was to explore the association between Treg cell frequency with allergen sensitization, disease severity and medication use. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy control subjects (N = 93) and asthmatic children of varying disease severity (N = 66) were characterized by multi-parameter flow cytometry. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrate that children with asthma had a significantly increased frequency of Treg cells compared to children without asthma. Using a multivariate model, increased Treg cell frequency in children with asthma was most directly associated with inhaled corticosteroid use, and not asthma severity, allergic sensitization, or atopic status of the asthma. CONCLUSION: We conclude that low dose, local airway administration of corticosteroids is sufficient to impact the frequency of Treg cells in the peripheral blood. These data highlight the importance of considering medication exposure when studying Treg cells and suggest inhaled corticosteroid use in asthmatics may improve disease control through increased Treg cell frequency