Unsteady transonic flow using Euler equations

An implicit, two factor, split flux, finite volume Euler equations solution algorithms is applied to the time accurate solution of transonic flow about an NACA 0012 airfoil and a rectangular planform supercritical wing undergoing pitch oscillations. Accuracy for Courant numbers greater than one is analyzed. Freezing the flux Jacobians can result in significant savings for steady state solutions; the accuracy of freezing flux Jacobians for unsteady results is investigated. The Euler algorithm results are compared with experimental results for an NACA 0012 and a rectangular planform supercritical wing

The HI Chronicles of LITTLE THINGS BCDs II: The Origin of IC 10's HI Structure

In this paper we analyze Very Large Array (VLA) telescope and Green Bank Telescope (GBT) atomic hydrogen (HI) data for the LITTLE THINGS(1) blue compact dwarf galaxy IC 10. The VLA data allow us to study the detailed HI kinematics and morphology of IC 10 at high resolution while the GBT data allow us to search the surrounding area at high sensitivity for tenuous HI. IC 10's HI appears highly disturbed in both the VLA and GBT HI maps with a kinematically distinct northern HI extension, a kinematically distinct southern plume, and several spurs in the VLA data that do not follow the general kinematics of the main disk. We discuss three possible origins of its HI structure and kinematics in detail: a current interaction with a nearby companion, an advanced merger, and accretion of intergalactic medium. We find that IC 10 is most likely an advanced merger or a galaxy undergoing accretion. 1:Local Irregulars That Trace Luminosity Extremes, The HI Nearby Galaxy Survey; https://science.nrao.edu/science/surveys/littlethingsComment: 36 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journa

Mediators of the effects of canagliflozin on kidney protection in patients with type 2 diabetes

Canagliflozin reduced kidney disease progression in participants with type 2 diabetes in the CANagliflozin cardioVascular Assessment Study (CANVAS) Program that explored potential mediators of the effects of canagliflozin on kidney outcomes. The percent mediating effect of 18 biomarkers indicative of disease was determined by comparing the hazard ratios for the effect of randomized treatment from an unadjusted model and from a model adjusting for the average post-randomization level of each biomarker. Multivariable analyses assessed the joint effects of biomarkers that mediated most strongly in univariable analyses. The kidney outcome was defined as a composite of 40% estimated glomerular filtration rate decline, end-stage kidney disease, or death due to kidney disease. Nine biomarkers (systolic blood pressure [8.9% of effect explained], urinary albumin:creatinine ratio [UACR; 23.9%], gamma glutamyltransferase [4.1%], hematocrit [51.1%], hemoglobin [41.3%], serum albumin [19.5%], erythrocytes [56.7%], serum urate [35.4%], and urine pH [7.5%]) individually mediated the effect of canagliflozin on the kidney outcome. In a parsimonious multivariable model, erythrocyte concentration, serum urate, and systolic blood pressure maximized cumulative mediation (115%). Mediating effects of UACR, but not other mediators, were highly dependent upon the baseline level of UACR: UACR mediated 42% and 7% of the effect in those with baseline UACR 30 mg/g or more and under 30 mg/g, respectively. The identified mediators support existing hypothesized mechanisms for the prevention of kidney outcomes with sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors. Thus, the disparity in mediating effects across baseline UACR subgroups suggests that the mechanism for kidney protection with canagliflozin may vary across patient subgroups

Observing conversational laughter in frontotemporal dementia.

BackgroundWe performed an observational study of laughter during seminaturalistic conversations between patients with dementia and familial caregivers. Patients were diagnosed with (1) behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), (2) right temporal variant frontotemporal dementia (rtFTD), (3) semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia (svPPA), (4) non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA) or (5) early onset Alzheimer's disease (eoAD). We hypothesised that those with bvFTD would laugh less in response to their own speech than other dementia groups or controls, while those with rtFTD would laugh less regardless of who was speaking.MethodsPatients with bvFTD (n=39), svPPA (n=19), rtFTD (n=14), nfvPPA (n=16), eoAD (n=17) and healthy controls (n=156) were recorded (video and audio) while discussing a problem in their relationship with a healthy control companion. Using the audio track only, laughs were identified by trained coders and then further classed by an automated algorithm as occurring during or shortly after the participant's own vocalisation ('self' context) or during or shortly after the partner's vocalisation ('partner' context).ResultsIndividuals with bvFTD, eoAD or rtFTD laughed less across both contexts of self and partner than the other groups. Those with bvFTD laughed less relative to their own speech comparedwith healthy controls. Those with nfvPPA laughed more in the partner context compared with healthy controls.ConclusionsLaughter in response to one's own vocalisations or those of a conversational partner may be a clinically useful measure in dementia diagnosis

Mirror Energy Differences at Large Isospin Studied through Direct Two-Nucleon Knockout

The first spectroscopy of excited states in 52Ni (Tz=2) and 51Co (Tz=-3/2) has been obtained using the highly selective two-neutron knockout reaction. Mirror energy differences between isobaric analogue states in these nuclei and their mirror partners are interpreted in terms of isospin nonconserving effects. A comparison between large scale shell-model calculations and data provides the most compelling evidence to date that both electromagnetic and an additional isospin nonconserving interactions for J=2 couplings, of unknown origin, are required to obtain good agreement.Comment: Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Experimental determination of proton hardness factors at several irradiation facilities

The effort to characterise detector sensors and components for the High Luminosity upgrade of the CERN Large Hadron Collider requires collaboration between irradiation facilities around the world. By convention, the radiation damage following irradiation with particle beams is reported as the 1 MeV neutron equivalent fluence, obtained using the corresponding hardness factor. Measurements of proton hardness factors at three different kinetic energies are presented, by characterisation of commercially available diodes before and after irradiation, using irradiations at the University of Birmingham, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and CERN. Possible future improvements to these measurements are also discussed

Gender, age and the MBA: An analysis of extrinsic and intrinsic career benefits

Against the background of an earlier UK study, this paper presents the findings of a Canadian based survey of career benefits from the MBA. Results indicate firstly that gender and age interact to influence perceptions of career outcomes (young men gain most in terms of extrinsic benefits of career change and pay), and secondly that both men and women gain intrinsic benefits from the MBA. However, intrinsic benefits vary by gender: men in the study were more likely to say they gained confidence from having a fuller skill set while women were more likely to say they gained confidence from feelings of self worth; men emphasised how they had learned to give up control while women argued that they had gained a ‘voice’ in the organization. The role of the MBA in career self- management and the acquisition of key skills are examined as well as the implications for the design of programmes in meeting the varied need of men and women in different age groups

Human annexin A6 interacts with influenza a virus protein M2 and negatively modulates infection

Copyright © 2012, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights ReservedThe influenza A virus M2 ion channel protein has the longest cytoplasmic tail (CT) among the three viral envelope proteins and is well conserved between different viral strains. It is accessible to the host cellular machinery after fusion with the endosomal membrane and during the trafficking, assembly, and budding processes. We hypothesized that identification of host cellular interactants of M2 CT could help us to better understand the molecular mechanisms regulating the M2-dependent stages of the virus life cycle. Using yeast two-hybrid screening with M2 CT as bait, a novel interaction with the human annexin A6 (AnxA6) protein was identified, and their physical interaction was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation assay and a colocalization study of virus-infected human cells. We found that small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of AnxA6 expression significantly increased virus production, while its overexpression could reduce the titer of virus progeny, suggesting a negative regulatory role for AnxA6 during influenza A virus infection. Further characterization revealed that AnxA6 depletion or overexpression had no effect on the early stages of the virus life cycle or on viral RNA replication but impaired the release of progeny virus, as suggested by delayed or defective budding events observed at the plasma membrane of virus-infected cells by transmission electron microscopy. Collectively, this work identifies AnxA6 as a novel cellular regulator that targets and impairs the virus budding and release stages of the influenza A virus life cycle.This work was supported by the Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Disease (project 09080892) of the Hong Kong Government, the Area of Excellence Scheme of the University Grants Committee (grant AoE/M-12/-06 of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China), the French Ministry of Health, the RESPARI Pasteur Network