Why Japanese Is EASY

Endgame - Whatever it takes - (2019)

Tony Stark in Avengers Endgame (Photoshop CS6). Also available: STEVE. 

Marvel Female Character 10 Year Posters

Two are Better Than One: The NASA Twins Study

What exactly happens to the human body during spaceflight? The Twins Study,  a 340-day investigation conducted by NASA’s Human Research Program , sought to find answers. Scientists had an opportunity to see how conditions on the International Space Station translated to changes in gene expression by comparing identical twin astronauts: Scott Kelly who spent close to a year in space and Mark Kelly who remained on Earth.

The Process

From high above the skies, for almost a year, astronaut Scott Kelly periodically collected his own blood specimens for researchers on the ground during his One-Year Mission aboard the Space Station. These biological specimens made their way down to Earth onboard two separate SpaceX Dragon vehicles. A little bit of Scott returned to Earth each time and was studied by scientists across the United States.

Totaling 183 samples from Scott and his brother, Mark, these vials helped scientists understand the changes Scott’s body underwent while spending a prolonged stay in low Earth orbit.  

The Twins

Because identical twins share the same genetic makeup, they are very similar on a molecular level. Twin studies provide a way for scientists to explore how our health is impacted by the environment around us.

What We Learned: Gene Expression

A significant finding is the variability in gene expression, which reflects how a body reacts to its environment and will help inform how gene expression is related to health risks associated with spaceflight. While in space, researchers observed changes in the expression of Scott’s genes, with the majority returning to normal after six months on Earth. However, a small percentage of genes related to the immune system and DNA repair did not return to baseline after his return to Earth. Further, the results identified key genes to target for use in monitoring the health of future astronauts and potentially developing personalized countermeasures.

What We Learned: Immunome

Another key finding is that Scott’s immune system responded appropriately in space. For example, the flu vaccine administered in space worked exactly as it does on Earth. A fully functioning immune system during long-duration space missions is critical to protecting astronaut health from opportunistic microbes in the spacecraft environment.

What We Learned: Proteomics

Studying protein pathways in Scott enabled researchers to look at fluid regulation and fluid shifts within his body. Shifts in fluid may contribute to vision problems in astronauts. Scientists found a specific protein associated with fluid regulation was elevated in Scott, compared with his brother Mark on Earth.

What We Learned: Telomeres

The telomeres in Scott’s white blood cells, which are biomarkers of aging at the end of chromosomes, were unexpectedly longer in space then shorter after his return to Earth with average telomere length returning to normal six months later. In contrast, his brother’s telomeres remained stable throughout the entire period. Because telomeres are important for cellular genomic stability, additional studies on telomere dynamics are planned for future one-year missions to see whether results are repeatable for long-duration missions.

What We Learned: Cognition

Scott Kelly participated in a series of cognitive performance evaluations (such as mental alertness, spatial orientation, and recognition of emotions) administered through a battery of tests and surveys. Researchers found that during spaceflight, Scott’s cognitive function remained normal for the first half of his stay onboard the space station compared to the second half of his spaceflight and to his brother, Mark, on the ground. However, upon landing, Scott’s speed and accuracy decreased. Re-exposure to Earth’s gravity and the dynamic experience of landing may have affected the results.  

What We Learned: Biochemical

In studying various measurements on Scott, researchers found that his body mass decreased during flight, likely due to controlled nutrition and extensive exercise. While on his mission, Scott consumed about 30% less calories than researchers anticipated. An increase in his folate serum (vitamin B-9), likely due to an increase of the vitamin in his pre-packaged meals, was also noted by researchers. This is bolstered by the telomeres study, which suggests that proper nutrition and exercise help astronauts maintain health while in space.

What We Learned: Metabolomics

Within five months of being aboard the space station, researchers found an increase in the thickness of Scott’s arterial wall, which may have been caused by inflammation and oxidative stress during spaceflight. Whether this change is reversible is yet to be determined. They hope these results will help them understand the stresses that the human cardiovascular system undergoes during spaceflight. 

In addition, the results from the Microbiome, Epigenomics, and Integrative Omics studies suggest a human body is capable of adapting to and recovering from the spaceflight environment on a molecular level.

Why Does This Matter?

The data from the Twins Study Investigation will be explored for years to come as researchers report some interesting, surprising, and assuring data on how the human body is able to adapt to the extreme environment of spaceflight. This study gave us the first integrated molecular view into genetic changes, and demonstrated the plasticity and robustness of a human body!

We will use the valuable data to ensure the safety and health of the men and women who go on to missions to the Moon and on to Mars.

Learn more with this video about these fascinating discoveries!  

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

Alexander “angel” Lightwood

insp [x]

Jack: Today’s question is, how do you deal with a crush?

Sam, Cas, Gabe, Dean: *facepalm* not again

Jack: yes again. So dads, what do you do when you have a crush?

Sam, takes the lead to do a little teaching of good values and crap: well, Jack, what I try to do is understand my feelings before I talk to them, and when I do approach them, I am always respectful and mindful of their wishes and I tell them how I feel and compliment them -

Dean, snickering: yeah, right

Sam: Shut up Dean.

Dean: why you gotta lie to the kid, Sammy? We all know that when you have a crush, you get as far away from the person as you can, otherwise they’d start liking you back and then you two’d end up banging and ta-da, they’re dead

Sam: …I hate you

Dean: *shrugs*

Jack, nodding and absorbing: what about you, Dean?

Dean, promptly: Well what you gotta do is judge if they’re in your league or not

Jack: if they are?

Dean: you put on the charm. Remember the blue-steel I showed you once?

Jack: the face I caught you practising in the mirror and you begged me to forget, but I never did?

Dean: yeah that’s the one

Jack: and what if they aren’t in my league?

Dean: you wait for the crush to go away

Jack, nodding: how long does that take?

Dean: depends on a lot of factors. Could be a week, or could be -

Sam, interrupting with a smirk: 10 years, inclusive of time spent in other realms such as purgatory

Jack: that LONG?

Sam, smirking wider as Dean goes red: oh yeah Jack, 10 years and running

Jack, nodding and accepting: I see. What about you, Castiel?

Cas: I…*thinks about raising Dean from hell, rebelling, fighting his garrison, falling from grace, disobeying Naomi, disobeying direct orders from Heaven, choosing him over an entire army, annoying a cosmic being enough to be brought back, healing every little bruise on his perfect face* I believe in grand gestures, Jack

Dean: *narrowing his eyes*

Sam, feeling pity for his brother: No Cas, you don’t. You’re a deathbed-confession guy

Cas: oh yes. That.

Jack, nodding: cool.

Cas, wistfully: but that didn’t work either so I don’t know if anything ever will.

Jack: why don’t you try doing something he likes with him?

Cas, touchy about the topic: You mean, like, cowboy around with him with a hat? Dress up as a medical practitioner to satisfy his kinks?

Dean, growing suspicious: that’s weirdly specific Cas

Cas: I can’t eVEN

~

BONUS

Jack: what about you, uncle Gabe? What do you do when you have a crush?

Gabriel, thinking about all the weird shit he’s done to Sam, ranging from killing his brother 104 times in a day to picking his side over the rest of his family’s, from giving him genital herpes to making him suffer in Nutcracker, and so on and so forth: heh

Jack: what?

Gabriel: …archangels don’t get crushes hehe

Jack, nodding: okay thanks

*in another corner of the room*

Dean and Cas, at the same time: its okay Sam - NO - DON’T try to strangle yourself it’s fine he’s just dodging the question - nO SAM don’t try to strangle him either - sAM you’re scaring us now please start b r e a t h i n g

A Study in Dean’s Oral Fixation

No one can convince me otherwise; Dean has a wonderful glorious oral fixation, and I have the proof my friends.

Now, there is quite a bit to cover here, so lets start with…

First of all, Dean is so fucking cute when he does this, it kills me slowly. Second of all, along with biting objects he also licks/bites his lips quite frequently.

He does it around Cas a lot (I just didn’t want to clog the post up with all of his heart eyes), which I’d assume is some kind of nervous tic, but he also just does it without any reason and I’m perfectly fine with that. It’s mostly an impulsive thing.

Next we have…

Dean literally eats all the time, and he always eats the same exact way. He always take really big bite and really fills his mouth with food. (which, I, myself having an oral fixation, can vouch for it feeling nice.) He also almost always makes that blissed out amazed face at every food he eats (although its cut out in some of these gifs). He’s that friend you have that’s way too excited about food and always moans just a little too passionately while eating pizza.

Next up we have…

We can all address the fact that Dean drinks a little more alcohol than he should, but God, have you ever looked at the way he drinks it? He always pushes the entire rim of the bottle into his mouth, almost never drinking from just the side unless it’s a glass and he’s forced to. He also presses his tongue to the bottle as well, which you can clearly see on the 5th gif down from here. Jesus, it is pornographic to watch the way his lips stretch around every bottle. That boy drinks with his lips and enjoys every second of it. Seriously, watch the way he lets his lips drag over the bottle and closes his eyes in almost all of these, you might need to grab a towel for your nether regions.

And then we have this last one…which may be the most important.

This one shows that Dean’s drinking is an impulse; he’s driven to do it without even thinking. I certainly believe that Dean has this impulse to satiate his oral fixation needs because Every. Damn. Time. he has got a drink in front of him he is opening his mouth wider than the fucking grand canyon. Anyway, next we have…

Sure, sure, sure, Dean’s probably done some cunnilingus with some chicks (and praise the lord for that mouth, I’m sure he’s made plenty of pretty girls scream with that silver tongue of his), but as a firm believer that Dean enjoys dick in his mouth I’d like to talk about dick in Dean’s mouth.

As I said before, I have an oral fixation, a very bad (good?) one at that. I’m also a sub (and honest to god, kill me if Dean isn’t because damn that needs its own post all together.) so enjoying things in my mouth is something that can be used to my advantage. Personally, I’m exclusively attracted to men but my oral fixation leads me to think about orally pleasuring women and enjoying it, so even if you (for some god awful reason) think that Dean Winchester is this straight as a beanpole guy, he, having an oral fixation, has probably thought about having a dick in his mouth.

If you really need any evidence of how much Dean would enjoy sucking cock just look at this photo for a while.

Seriously, you could photoshop a dick in there if you had skill. (pretty please can someone do it?)

Alright, alright, so lets get to the last one here…

I was a little skeptical about what the hell being sarcastic amd having that kind of no-verbal filter personality had to do with oral fixation, but Mr. Sex scientist Freud over here says so and I have that personality so it must be true.

I mean…Dean is the sarcasm king- oops I mean princess.

…So maybe he really does have a massive oral fixation. Because he does. Look ma, I did research! You see, I’m not crazy, I have proof!

Anyway, take it or leave it, but I have a strong headcanon that Dean has an oral fixation. This post is dedicated to @bottomsub-dean because oral fixation.

Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger Tandy Bowen actress Olivia Holt in Vera Wang with House of Emmanuele jewelry photographed by Elias Tahan for Schön! Magazine # 34, March 2018.

Some Ginny x Luna for HP Rare Fest on LJ! Link to full view