Grid Sensitivity for Aerodynamic Optimization and Flow Analysis

An algorithm is developed to obtain the grid sensitivity with respect to design parameters for aerodynamic optimization. Two distinct parameterization procedures are developed for investigating the grid sensitivity with respect to design parameters of a wing-section as an example. The first procedure is based on traditional (physical) relations defining NACA four-digit wing-sections. The second is advocating a novel (geometrical) parameterization using spline functions such as NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) for defining the wing-section geometry. An inter-active algebraic grid generation technique, known as Two-Boundary Grid Generation (TBGG) is employed to generate C-type grids around wing-sections. The grid sensitivity of the domain with respect to design and grid parameters has been obtained by direct differentiation of the grid equations. A hybrid approach is proposed for more geometrically complex configurations. A comparison of the sensitivity coefficients with those obtained using a finite-difference approach is made to verify the feasibility of the approach. The aerodynamic sensitivity coefficients are obtained using the compressible two-dimensional thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations. An optimization package has been introduced into the algorithm in order to optimize the wing-section surface using both physical and geometric parameterization. Results demonstrate a substantially improved design, particularly in the geometric parameterization case

The Biogeographic Origins and Trophic Ecology of Maine’s Island Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus)

Island populations of terrestrial species have an increased potential, compared to mainland populations, to adapt and diverge, as these populations often are isolated with respect to gene flow from other populations and may be subjected to novel pressures. Indeed, extended isolation of individuals can elicit dramatic changes within populations and is recognized as a common driver of speciation. It is for these reasons that island populations are often a priority for conservation. Plethodontid salamanders are among the most terrestrial of Maine’s amphibians and are not tolerant of prolonged exposure to seawater, and yet, they are found on a number of Maine’s coastal islands. Here I present findings of the first study of the population genetic structure of Maine’s island red-backed salamanders to elucidate their probable origins. I collected samples from 12 coastal island and 10 mainland sites. Using nine microsatellite loci, I found that 199 of 210 pairwise comparisons showed significant multilocus differentiation. Island populations had fewer alleles and lower heterozygosity than most mainland populations. Islands farthest from shore displayed particularly strong divergence from all other sites, a finding consistent with ancient colonization. Phylogenetic and Bayesian structure analyses supported weak regional affiliation, which may be the result of extended isolation and divergence of distant island populations. Salamanders from island sites displayed no overall pattern of isolation by distance, whereas, those from mainland sites showed a weakly positive trend, implying a greater dispersal limitation among island populations. Isotopic analyses revealed that Maine’s coastal islands vary from one another and from mainland systems in productivity baselines and trophic structure, indicating potential differences in sources of primary productivity and food web structure. Alternative ecological dynamics such as these have the potential to instigate adaptive divergence of island salamanders from their mainland counterparts. Consistent with this idea, red-backed salamanders on Maine’s coastal islands appear to feed at a higher mean trophic level than mainland salamanders, with smaller, seabird nesting islands featuring the highest estimated trophic position. Salamander populations varied widely in body size and morphological trait allometry suggesting potentially widespread trait divergence that may be linked to local adaptations. Within this general population variation, island populations featured larger head proportions (snout-gular length) for their body size, a pattern that may be adaptive given the higher mean trophic position of these populations. These findings suggest some island populations of P. cinereus likely represent isolated and potentially unique components of post-glacially derived variation within this widespread species and support the operation of mechanisms generating at least limited phenotype-environment associations in Maine’s red-back salamanders. Indeed, Maine’s island red-backed salamanders encourage a closer look at other widespread species on these coastal islands for the possibility that they similarly represent cryptic components of Maine’s biodiversity

Improving Newborn Outcomes through Implementation of Delayed Bathing: An Integrative Review

Evidence-based practice is foundational to ensuring patient safety and quality of care. Implementing evidence-based practice is the responsibility of all care providers. The completion of an in-depth integrative review provides a project leader the opportunity to explore the benefits of delayed bathing of the newborn and impact of the practice on newborn outcomes. The goal of this integrative review is to identify the benefits of delayed bathing and ways to implement this practice in the clinical setting. This integrative review seeks to present care providers with the most recent research and guidelines as it relates to the practice of delayed bathing of the newborn and recommendations for how that practice might be integrated into current care delivery in order to improve exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates. This project will determine if the benefits of delayed bathing impact newborn breastfeeding outcomes. The information will then be disseminated to a Women and Infants’ Department in Northcentral Wisconsin for practice implementation to provide an overview of the scholarly project and its implications

Maximizing CRISPR/Cas9 phenotype penetrance applying predictive modeling of editing outcomes in Xenopus and zebrafish embryos

© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Naert, T., Tulkens, D., Edwards, N. A., Carron, M., Shaidani, N. I., Wlizla, M., Boel, A., Demuynck, S., Horb, M. E., Coucke, P., Willaert, A., Zorn, A. M., & Vleminckx, K. Maximizing CRISPR/Cas9 phenotype penetrance applying predictive modeling of editing outcomes in Xenopus and zebrafish embryos. Scientific Reports, 10(1), (2020): 14662, doi:10.1038/s41598-020-71412-0.CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has revolutionized functional genomics in vertebrates. However, CRISPR/Cas9 edited F0 animals too often demonstrate variable phenotypic penetrance due to the mosaic nature of editing outcomes after double strand break (DSB) repair. Even with high efficiency levels of genome editing, phenotypes may be obscured by proportional presence of in-frame mutations that still produce functional protein. Recently, studies in cell culture systems have shown that the nature of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutations can be dependent on local sequence context and can be predicted by computational methods. Here, we demonstrate that similar approaches can be used to forecast CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing outcomes in Xenopus tropicalis, Xenopus laevis, and zebrafish. We show that a publicly available neural network previously trained in mouse embryonic stem cell cultures (InDelphi-mESC) is able to accurately predict CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing outcomes in early vertebrate embryos. Our observations can have direct implications for experiment design, allowing the selection of guide RNAs with predicted repair outcome signatures enriched towards frameshift mutations, allowing maximization of CRISPR/Cas9 phenotype penetrance in the F0 generation.Research in the Vleminckx laboratory is supported by the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen) (Grants G0A1515N and G029413N), by the Belgian Science Policy (Interuniversity Attraction Poles—IAP7/07) and by the Concerted Research Actions from Ghent University (BOF15/GOA/011). Further support was obtained by the Hercules Foundation, Flanders (Grant AUGE/11/14) and the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation and the Desmoid Tumour Foundation Canada. T.N. is funded by “Kom op tegen Kanker” (Stand up to Cancer), the Flemish cancer society and previously held PhD fellowship with VLAIO-HERMES during the course of this work. D.T. and M. C. hold a PhD fellowship from the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen). The Zorn Lab is supported by Funding from NIH National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) P01 HD093363. A.W. and A.B. are supported by the Ghent University (Universiteit Gent) Methusalem grant BOFMET2015000401 to Anne De Paepe. The National Xenopus Resource and Horb lab is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (P40 OD010997 and R01 HD084409)

Essays on Institutions and Development

This thesis studies three different aspects of the development of societies. The first chapter studies the effect of monopolistic competition in the presence of moral hazard on consumer welfare and the efficiency of resource allocation based on market institutions. The second chapter analyses the effect of capital market imperfections on the evolution of inequality and conflict between different socio-economic classes. The goal of this chapter is to provide a framework of the study of the effect of economic development on the dynamics of state repression. The third chapter looks at the process of development from a historical perspective and studies the effect of European colonization on contemporary economic development of former colonies. To this end, I examine the effect of colonization on genetic and non-genetic (e.g. institutional) aspects of former colonies. The broad message of this thesis is that non-market factors - historical and contemporary factors relating to social norms, beliefs, and institutions - play a crucial role in determining societies\u27 potential for development and their prosperity

A Review of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Data Interpretation in the Age of Automated Insulin Delivery.

Using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) improves glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes. The ambulatory glucose profile (AGP) has been recommended as a standard method for reporting CGM data. However, in recently developed automated insulin delivery (AID) systems, a standard format for reporting data has not yet been developed. Instead, reports are specific to each system being used. Currently, the only FDA approved AID system is a hybrid closed-loop insulin pump. In these systems, the patient is still required to announce a meal, respond to alerts, and keep the system in automated insulin delivery. The integrated pump and sensor information provides insights into how the system is performing, and how to make changes to tunable parameters, such as carbohydrate to insulin ratios. The reports also offer a window into human behavior related to performing diabetes tasks, responding to alarms, reasons for exiting HCL, and how glycemic goals are being met. This article reviews the pump and CGM data provided by several of the current closed-loop systems with a focus on systems that are currently approved in the United States (MiniMed™ 670G, Tandem Basal:IQ) and those used by patients using do-it-yourself systems. A step-wise approach to reviewing the nuances of these systems is provided. The comparison may reinforce the importance of the continued need for streamlining a standard report for providers to be able to interpret the CGM data of these systems

GRID SENSITIVITY AND AERODYNAMIC OPTIMIZATION OF GENERIC AIRFOILS �

An algorithm is developed to obtain the grid sen� sitivity with respect to design parameters for aero� dynamic optimization. The procedure is advocating a novel �geometrical � parameterization using spline functions such as NURBS �Non�Uniform Rational B� Splines � for de�ning the airfoil geometry. An interac� tive algebraic grid generation technique is employed to generate C�type grids around airfoils. The grid sensitivity of the domain with respect to geometric design parameters has been obtained by direct di�er� entiation of the grid equations. A hybrid approach is proposed for more geometrically complex con�gu� rations such as a wing or fuselage. The aerodynamic sensitivity coe�cients are obtained by direct di�er� entiation of the compressible two�dimensional thin� layer Navier�Stokes equations. An optimization pack� age has been introduced into the algorithm in order to optimize the airfoil surface. Results demonstrate a substantially improved design due to maximized lift�drag ratio of the airfoil. 1