EBF noise reduction through nozzle/flap positioning

Results are presented of an experimental and analytical study of the dependence of externally blown flap (EBF) noise on the relative position and shape of engine exhaust nozzle. Tests, conducted on a 1/15 scale model of a triple-slotted EBF system, indicate that a significant reduction (of up to 10 to 15 db for no forward speed case and of up to 5 to 10 db for forward speed case) is possible in the low frequency (around 63 Hz) region of the noise spectrum of the full scale device for small nozzle/flap separation distances. The overall acoustic performance, measured in PNdb, does not exhibit significant reductions. The analysis of the EBF noise is carried out for two limiting airfoil in a free jet. The analytical results also suggest that low frequency noise can be reduced by placing the nozzle close to the flow turning elements

Management of Django Web Development in Python

Application Development is not only limited to the business or promotional field, but it also helps to provide the necessary services to the common people across the world by creating an interaction between the companies and the customers through the website. It also creates a platform for the common people who have the ability to attract the audience using their talent. We can take the example of various blog writers, online councilors and fashion influencers who have a large audience because of their quality content and knowledge in their field. We have generally seen how the electronic companies have marked their presence on the online platform via the website which enables the users to contact the company easily. Online retail companies interact with the users via website and provide the orders at the doorsteps of the people. There are various news agencies which had created their website which keeps the users updated with the latest national and international articles. The website development has helped to create a link between the people and the companies, but behind all these facilities there is a powerful language and commands that holds these computational activities and data transfers which helps to create a good interaction between the users and the website owners. Web developers are classified into Front-end and Back-end web developers, Front-end developers help to create an interactive interface that can be easily accessed by the users, whereas Back-end development deals with the main work that is done behind the screens. We can say that it helps to power the website by managing data transfer and other computational activities. In this project, the importance of Django and back-end web development is explained. Using the tools and commands of these languages we can make an interactive and user-friendly interface that can be easily accessed by people. Back-end was earlier known for limited purposes but now when it is explored thoroughly proved to be one of the best languages for website development, gaming, Artificial Intelligence, and highly advanced mobile applications

The vaginal microbiome during pregnancy and the postpartum period in a European population

The composition and structure of the pregnancy vaginal microbiome may influence susceptibility to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Studies on the pregnant vaginal microbiome have largely been limited to Northern American populations. Using MiSeq sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, we characterised the vaginal microbiota of a mixed British cohort of women (n = 42) who experienced uncomplicated term delivery and who were sampled longitudinally throughout pregnancy (8–12, 20–22, 28–30 and 34–36 weeks gestation) and 6 weeks postpartum. We show that vaginal microbiome composition dramatically changes postpartum to become less Lactobacillus spp. dominant with increased alpha-diversity irrespective of the community structure during pregnancy and independent of ethnicity. While the pregnancy vaginal microbiome was characteristically dominated by Lactobacillus spp. and low alpha-diversity, unlike Northern American populations, a significant number of pregnant women this British population had a L. jensenii-dominated microbiome characterised by low alpha-diversity. L. jensenii was predominantly observed in women of Asian and Caucasian ethnicity whereas L. gasseri was absent in samples from Black women. This study reveals new insights into biogeographical and ethnic effects upon the pregnancy and postpartum vaginal microbiome and has important implications for future studies exploring relationships between the vaginal microbiome, host health and pregnancy outcomes

Molecular Basis for Vulnerability to Mitochondrial and Oxidative Stress in a Neuroendocrine CRI-G1 Cell Line

BackgroundMany age-associated disorders (including diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases) are linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, which leads to impaired cellular bioenergetics and increased oxidative stress. However, it is not known what genetic and molecular pathways underlie differential vulnerability to mitochondrial dysfunction observed among different cell types.Methodology/principal findingsStarting with an insulinoma cell line as a model for a neuronal/endocrine cell type, we isolated a novel subclonal line (named CRI-G1-RS) that was more susceptible to cell death induced by mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitors than the parental CRI-G1 line (renamed CRI-G1-RR for clarity). Compared to parental RR cells, RS cells were also more vulnerable to direct oxidative stress, but equally vulnerable to mitochondrial uncoupling and less vulnerable to protein kinase inhibition-induced apoptosis. Thus, differential vulnerability to mitochondrial toxins between these two cell types likely reflects differences in their ability to handle metabolically generated reactive oxygen species rather than differences in ATP production/utilization or in downstream apoptotic machinery. Genome-wide gene expression analysis and follow-up biochemical studies revealed that, in this experimental system, increased vulnerability to mitochondrial and oxidative stress was associated with (1) inhibition of ARE/Nrf2/Keap1 antioxidant pathway; (2) decreased expression of antioxidant and phase I/II conjugation enzymes, most of which are Nrf2 transcriptional targets; (3) increased expression of molecular chaperones, many of which are also considered Nrf2 transcriptional targets; (4) increased expression of β cell-specific genes and transcription factors that specify/maintain β cell fate; and (5) reconstitution of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.Conclusions/significanceThe molecular profile presented here will enable identification of individual genes or gene clusters that shape vulnerability to mitochondrial dysfunction and thus represent potential therapeutic targets for diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, the newly identified CRI-G1-RS cell line represents a new experimental model for investigating how endogenous antioxidants affect glucose sensing and insulin release by pancreatic β cells

The use of quantitative fetal fibronectin for the prediction of preterm birth in women with exposed fetal membranes undergoing emergency cervical cerclage

Objective: Emergency cervical cerclage is often considered a controversial salvage measure for those pregnancies at high risk of mid-trimester loss or early preterm birth. To determine the efficacy and benefit of emergency cerclage insertion, we assessed the predictive value of quantitative fetal fibronectin (fFN) concentration in cervicovaginal fluid for spontaneous preterm birth in women with exposed fetal membranes prior to cerclage insertion. Study design: This was a retrospective observational study from St Thomas’ Hospital, London of a cohort of women with singleton pregnancy and exposed fetal membranes presenting between 18 and 23+6 weeks of gestation (n = 35), in the period 2015-2018. fFN concentrations in cervicovaginal fluid were measured quantitatively at presentation in all women within 24 h prior to cerclage insertion. Results: 35 eligible women with exposed fetal membranes who underwent an emergency cervical cerclage were identified. The median gestational age was 20 + 0 weeks (18 + 6−21 + 2) at presentation and 29 + 3 weeks (23 + 3−38 + 2) at delivery, with a median time from emergency cerclage to delivery of 65.5 days (17–126.5). In total, 12 women (34 %) delivered within 28 days of emergency cerclage insertion. 60 % of women with an fFN level above 500 ng/mL delivered within 28 days of cerclage insertion, and they all delivered before 37 weeks gestation. No women with fFN levels below 10 ng/mL delivered within 28 days and 75 % of these women delivered at term. Concentration of quantitative fFN at presentation correlated negatively with time to delivery (Spearman's rs = −0.52, p = 0.0016). Mann–Whitney U analysis demonstrated a significant difference in the distribution of qfFN concentrations in women who delivered preterm compared to those who did not, both within 28 days from testing (p = 0.0048) and &lt;37 weeks (p = 0.006). Conclusion: Quantitative fFN has a role in predicting spontaneous preterm birth even in women with exposed fetal membranes undergoing emergency cervical cerclage. Given the serious risks associated with cervical cerclage surgery, qfFN could be used to counsel these patients at high risk of preterm delivery, as well as assisting in the decision to insert a cerclage.</p