Stabilization of liquid instabilities with ionized gas jets.

Impinging gas jets can induce depressions in liquid surfaces, a phenomenon familiar to anyone who has observed the cavity produced by blowing air through a straw directly above a cup of juice. A dimple-like stable cavity on a liquid surface forms owing to the balance of forces among the gas jet impingement, gravity and surface tension1,2. With increasing gas jet speed, the cavity becomes unstable and shows oscillatory motion, bubbling (Rayleigh instability) and splashing (Kelvin-Helmholtz instability)3,4. However, despite its scientific and practical importance-particularly in regard to reducing cavity instability growth in certain gas-blown systems-little attention has been given to the hydrodynamic stability of a cavity in such gas-liquid systems so far. Here we demonstrate the stabilization of such instabilities by weakly ionized gas for the case of a gas jet impinging on water, based on shadowgraph experiments and computational two-phase fluid and plasma modelling. We focus on the interfacial dynamics relevant to electrohydrodynamic (EHD) gas flow, so-called electric wind, which is induced by the momentum transfer from accelerated charged particles to neutral gas under an electric field. A weakly ionized gas jet consisting of periodic pulsed ionization waves5, called plasma bullets, exerts more force via electrohydrodynamic flow on the water surface than a neutral gas jet alone, resulting in cavity expansion without destabilization. Furthermore, both the bidirectional electrohydrodynamic gas flow and electric field parallel to the gas-water interface produced by plasma interacting 'in the cavity' render the surface more stable. This case study demonstrates the dynamics of liquids subjected to a plasma-induced force, offering insights into physical processes and revealing an interdependence between weakly ionized gases and deformable dielectric matter, including plasma-liquid systems.

Cytokine receptor γc effectuates the generation of proinflammatory innate CD8 T cells by non-classical MHC-I molecules.

Innate CD8 T cells correspond to a population of terminally differentiated effector T cells that phenotypically appear as antigen-experienced memory cells and functionally resemble proinflammatory CD8 T cells, expressing copious amounts of IFNγ. Innate CD8 T cells, however, are distinct from conventional effector-memory CD8 T cells as they acquire functional maturity during their generation in the thymus. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive their thymic development and differentiation is an intensely studied subject in T cell immunity, and here we identified the cytokine receptor γc as a critical mediator of innate CD8 T cell generation that promotes their selection even in the absence of classical MHC-I molecules. Consequently, overexpression of γc resulted in a dramatic increase of innate CD8 T cells in KbDb-deficient mice. We mapped its underlying mechanism to the expansion of IL-4-producing invariant NKT cells, so that it is the increased availability of intrathymic IL-4 which augments the selection of innate CD8 T cells. Collectively, these results unravel the selection of innate CD8 T cells being mediated by non-classical MHC-I molecules and being modulated by the abundance of the γc cytokine, IL-4.

Activated T cells secrete an alternatively spliced form of common γ-chain that inhibits cytokine signaling and exacerbates inflammation.

The common γ-chain (γc) plays a central role in signaling by IL-2 and other γc-dependent cytokines. Here we report that activated T cells produce an alternatively spliced form of γc mRNA that results in protein expression and secretion of the γc extracellular domain. The soluble form of γc (sγc) is present in serum and directly binds to IL-2Rß and IL-7Rα proteins on T cells to inhibit cytokine signaling and promote inflammation. sγc suppressed IL-7 signaling to impair naive T cell survival during homeostasis and exacerbated Th17-cell-mediated inflammation by inhibiting IL-2 signaling upon T cell activation. Reciprocally, the severity of Th17-cell-mediated inflammatory diseases was markedly diminished in mice lacking sγc. Thus, sγc expression is a naturally occurring immunomodulator that regulates γc cytokine signaling and controls T cell activation and differentiation.

Protein abundance of the cytokine receptor γc controls the thymic generation of innate-like T cells.

Innate-like T (iT) cells comprise a population of immunoregulatory T cells whose effector function is imposed during their development in the thymus to provide protective immunity prior to antigen encounter. The molecular mechanism that drives the generation of iT cells remains unclear. Here, we report that the cytokine receptor γc plays a previously unappreciated role for thymic iT cells by controlling their cellular abundance, lineage commitment, and subset differentiation. As such, γc overexpression on thymocytes dramatically altered iT cell generation in the thymus, as it skewed the subset composition of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells and promoted the generation of IFNγ-producing innate CD8 T cells. Mechanistically, we found that the γc-STAT6 axis drives the differentiation of IL-4-producing iNKT cells, which in turn induced the generation of innate CD8 T cells. Collectively, these results reveal a cytokine-driven circuity of thymic iT cell differentiation that is controlled by the abundance of γc proteins.

Unboxing mathematics: creating a culture of modeling as critic.

From the socio-critical perspective of mathematical modeling, reflexive discussions about the nature, criteria, and consequences of mathematical models are not a natural consequence of modeling in school. This report is part of a larger study focused on stimulating reflexive discussions in practice employing constructivist grounded theory as a research method. Twenty-seven college algebra students engaged in a 3-week modeling project at a community college in the USA. Audio-recorded group discussions and written reflections were collected to determine how reflexive discussions were taking place. Analysis of students' actions and reflexive discussions during the modeling project produced four concepts: voicing mathematics, personalizing mathematics, challenging mathematics, and negotiating mathematics. These concepts are integrated into an overall process for stimulating reflexive discussions and are conceptualized as unboxing mathematics. The overarching concept of unboxing mathematics represents one interpretation of how reflexive discussions may be constituted during modeling activities and identifies classroom mathematical practices specific to the socio-critical modeling context of this study.

Fracture of Standard Titanium Mandibular Reconstruction Plates and Preliminary Study of Three-Dimensional Printed Reconstruction Plates.

PURPOSE: A cohort review was performed to compare the effect of a number of variables on mandible reconstruction plate (R-plate) survival and to identify the potential risk factors for plate fracture. We also reported our preliminary results of 3-dimensional (3D) printed reconstruction plates. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The data from patients who had undergone mandibular reconstruction using reconstruction plates were evaluated for age, gender, mandibular resection indication, defect site and length, remaining occluded teeth, reconstruction plate type, simultaneous soft or bone tissue reconstruction, and radiotherapy. The plate survival rate was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier curve, and the variables were compared using the log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test. Multifactorial risk correlation was determined using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The study included 159 patients who had been followed for 97 ± 5.4 months. Of the 159 patients, 22 had experienced plate fracture that had occurred within 20 months. Most of the plate fractures had occurred near the mandibular bone stump, passing through the shoulder of the plate hole or the bridge between the subsequent plate holes. The overall survival was 86.2%. Patients with few occluded teeth (type I) had a significantly greater R-plate survival rate compared with those with many occluded teeth (P = .045). Laterocentral "LC" defects had a significantly lower survival rate (44.4%) compared with lateral "L" defects (84.5%; P = .00). The survival rates with soft tissue (88.7%) or bone tissue reconstruction (100%) were significantly different compared with that for R-plate alone (40%; P = .000 and P = .004, respectively). Four patients received 3D printed R-plates and were followed for 2 to 8 months (mean, 4 months) with no complications. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with many remaining occluded teeth, LC defect, and the absence of simultaneous soft or bone tissue reconstruction were associated with a lower plate survival rate. Bending of the plate increased the incidence of plate fracture, and the use of 3D printed customized R-plates seems a valuable alternative.

rhBMP-2 Pre-Treated Human Periodontal Ligament Stem Cell Sheets Regenerate a Mineralized Layer Mimicking Dental Cementum.

The periodontal complex consisting of alveolar bone, cementum, and periodontal ligaments (PDL) supports human teeth through the systematic orchestration of mineralized tissues and fibrous tissues. Importantly, cementum, the outermost mineralized layer of dental roots, plays an essential role by bridging the inner ligaments from the dental root to the alveolar bone. When the periodontal complex is damaged, the regeneration of each component of the periodontal complex is necessary; however, it is still challenging to achieve complete functional regeneration. In this study, we tried to control the regeneration of cementum and PDL by using a human PDL stem cell (hPDLSC) sheet engineering technology with the pretreatment of recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2). Isolated hPDLSCs obtained from extracted human teeth were pretreated with rhBMP-2 for in vitro osteogenic differentiation and grafted on the micro/macro-porous biphasic calcium phosphate (MBCP) blocks, which represent dental roots. The MBCPs with hPDLSC sheets were implanted in the subcutaneous layer of immune-compromised mice, and rhBMP-2 pretreated hPDLSC sheets showed higher mineralization and collagen ligament deposition than the no-pretreatment group. Therefore, the rhBMP-2-hPDLSC sheet technique could be an effective strategy for the synchronized regeneration of two different tissues: mineralized tissue and fibrous tissues in periodontal complexes.

Efficacy of Pharmacotherapy for Smoking Cessation in Adolescent Smokers: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation among adolescent smokers by using a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched from the inception to January 20, 2018. We included RCTs of pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation among adolescent smokers aged less than 20 years. Data were pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. The primary outcome measures were a smoking abstinence rate and its relative risk (RR) at the longest follow-up period in each study validated by biochemical markers. RESULTS: Among a total of 1035 articles searched, nine RCTs, which involved 1188 adolescent smokers aged 12-20 years with 627 in the intervention group and 561 in the control group, were included in the final analysis. In the random-effects meta-analysis of all the nine trials, pharmacotherapy showed a increased abstinence rate (RR = 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08 to 2.44, I2 = 0.0%), compared with the control group. Subgroup meta-analyses by follow-up period showed an increased abstinence rate at 4 weeks (RR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.22 to 2.87; n = 4) and a nonsignificantly increased abstinence rate during the longer term follow-up periods at 8, 12, 24, and 52 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The current meta-analysis suggests that pharmacotherapy can be considered as an aid for smoking cessation in the short-term period among adolescent smokers. However, further large RCTs are warranted to determine its long-term efficacy and safety. IMPLICATIONS: In this meta-analysis of nine RCTs with 1188 adolescent smokers aged 12-20 years, pharmacotherapy showed an increased abstinence rate, compared with the control group. In the subgroup meta-analyses by follow-up period, it showed the increased abstinence rate at 4 weeks and no efficacy on abstinence during the longer term follow-up periods up to 52 weeks. Further large RCTs are warranted to determine the long-term efficacy and safety of pharmacotherapy in adolescent smokers.

CD4 effector T cell differentiation is controlled by IL-15 that is expressed and presented in trans.

T cells are both producers and consumers of cytokines, and autocrine cytokine signaling plays a critical role in T cell immunity. IL-15 is a homeostatic cytokine for T cells that also controls inflammatory immune responses. An autocrine role of T cell-derived IL-15, however, remains unclear. Here we examined IL-15 expression and signaling upon effector T cell differentiation in mice, and, surprisingly, found that CD4 T cells did not express IL-15. CD4 T cells lacked Il15 gene reporter activity, did not contain IL-15 transcripts, and did not produce IL-15Rα, the proprietary IL-15 receptor required for IL-15 trans-presentation. Moreover, IL-15 failed to inhibit Th17 cell differentiation and failed to generate Foxp3+ Treg cells in vitro. IL-2, which utilizes the same IL-2Rß/γc receptor complex, however, successfully did so. Exogenous IL-15 only exerted bioactivity and controlled T cell differentiation when it was trans-presented by IL-15Rα. Consequently, IL-15Rα-bound IL-15, but not free IL-15, suppressed Th17 cell differentiation and induced Treg cell generation. Collectively, these results reveal the absence of an IL-15 autocrine loop in CD4 T cells and strongly suggest that IL-15 trans-presentation by non-CD4 T cells is the primary mechanism via which IL-15 controls CD4 effector T cell differentiation.

The common γ-chain cytokine receptor: tricks-and-treats for T cells.

Originally identified as the third subunit of the high-affinity IL-2 receptor complex, the common γ-chain (γc) also acts as a non-redundant receptor subunit for a series of other cytokines, collectively known as γc family cytokines. γc plays essential roles in T cell development and differentiation, so that understanding the molecular basis of its signaling and regulation is a critical issue in T cell immunology. Unlike most other cytokine receptors, γc is thought to be constitutively expressed and limited in its function to the assembly of high-affinity cytokine receptors. Surprisingly, recent studies reported a series of findings that unseat γc as a simple housekeeping gene, and unveiled γc as a new regulatory molecule in T cell activation and differentiation. Cytokine-independent binding of γc to other cytokine receptor subunits suggested a pre-association model of γc with proprietary cytokine receptors. Also, identification of a γc splice isoform revealed expression of soluble γc proteins (sγc). sγc directly interacted with surface IL-2Rß to suppress IL-2 signaling and to promote pro-inflammatory Th17 cell differentiation. As a result, endogenously produced sγc exacerbated autoimmune inflammatory disease, while the removal of endogenous sγc significantly ameliorated disease outcome. These data provide new insights into the role of both membrane and soluble γc in cytokine signaling, and open new venues to interfere and modulate γc signaling during immune activation. These unexpected discoveries further underscore the perspective that γc biology remains largely uncharted territory that invites further exploration.

Grip strength in post-stroke hemiplegia.

[Purpose] This study was performed in order to investigate the grip strength of the unaffected hand of hemiplegic post-stroke patients. [Subjects] This study conducted on 83 hemiplegic post-stroke patients from May to August 2012. [Methods] This study was measured the mean grip strength of the unaffected hand of patients with hemiplegia and comparatively analyzed this with the mean normal grip strength. [Results] The grip strength of the unaffected hand of patients with hemiplegia was weaker compared to the of normal. [Conclusion] Patients with hemiplegia demonstrated problems in both their unaffected and affected sides. Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to expand treatment from the affected to unaffected areas of patients with hemiplegia.

Ikaros is required to survive positive selection and to maintain clonal diversity during T-cell development in the thymus.

The zinc-finger protein Ikaros is a key player in T-cell development and a potent tumor suppressor in thymocytes. To understand the molecular basis of its function, we disabled Ikaros activity in vivo using a dominant negative Ikaros transgene (DN-IkTg). In DN-IkTg mice, T-cell development was severely suppressed, and positively selected thymocytes clonally expanded, resulting in a small thymus with a heavily skewed T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. Notably, DN-IkTg induced vigorous proliferation concomitant to downregulation of antiapoptotic factor expression such as Bcl2. Ikaros activity was required during positive selection, and specifically at the CD4(+)CD8(lo) intermediate stage of thymocyte differentiation, where it prevented persistent TCR signals from inducing aberrant proliferation and expansion. In particular, DN-IkTg induced the accumulation of CD4 single-positive (SP) thymocytes with a developmentally transitional phenotype, and it imposed a developmental arrest accompanied by massive apoptosis. Thus, we identified an in vivo requirement for Ikaros function, which is to suppress the proliferative potential of persistent TCR signals and to promote the survival and differentiation of positively selected thymocytes.

Evaluating localism in the management of post-consumer plastic bottles in Honolulu, Hawai'i: perspectives from industrial ecology and political ecology.

Localism or regionalization has become a popular topic in urban design, but recent critics raise the question of whether the local or regional scale is most desirable for industrial ecosystems. As a way to explore the claim that localized metabolism is more sustainable, this study examines the costs and benefits of two differentially scaled strategies for the management of post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles originating in the city of Honolulu, Hawai'i: local incineration and trans-continental recycling. We first estimate total environmental impacts of two options using life cycle assessment, and then disaggregate them into local versus non-local impacts to examine the spatial distribution of costs and benefits. We further assess the environmental justification for localized waste management in relation to the broader socio-economic motivations that underlie the way that plastics are managed in Honolulu. In doing so we assess the scale at which waste management is optimized from an environmental standpoint as well as the non-environmental considerations such as security and safety that influence the politics of scale involved in urban metabolic design. By illustrating the trade-offs between a local versus global metabolic pathway for plastic waste, the results from our Honolulu case study are globally relevant for communities interested in sustainable urban design and in particular urban waste management.

Analysis of the Baroreceptor and Vestibular Receptor Inputs in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla following Hypotension in Conscious Rats.

Input signals originating from baroreceptors and vestibular receptors are integrated in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) to maintain blood pressure during postural movement. The contribution of baroreceptors and vestibular receptors in the maintenance of blood pressure following hypotension were quantitatively analyzed by measuring phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinase (pERK) expression and glutamate release in the RVLM. The expression of pERK and glutamate release in the RVLM were measured in conscious rats that had undergone bilateral labyrinthectomy (BL) and/or sinoaortic denervation (SAD) following hypotension induced by a sodium nitroprusside (SNP) infusion. The expression of pERK was significantly increased in the RVLM in the control group following SNP infusion, and expression peaked 10 min after SNP infusion. The number of pERK positive neurons increased following SNP infusion in BL, SAD, and BL+SAD groups, although the increase was smaller than seen in the control group. The SAD group showed a relatively higher reduction in pERK expression when compared with the BL group. The level of glutamate release was significantly increased in the RVLM in control, BL, SAD groups following SNP infusion, and this peaked 10 min after SNP infusion. The SAD group showed a relatively higher reduction in glutamate release when compared with the BL group. These results suggest that the baroreceptors are more powerful in pERK expression and glutamate release in the RVLM following hypotension than the vestibular receptors, but the vestibular receptors still have an important role in the RVLM.

3D motion analysis comparison of left handers' wrist flexion and cutting accuracy according to scissors type.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to research the difference in wrist flexion and accuracy of left-handers when using regular scissors made for right-handed persons versus scissors made for left-handers. [Subjects and Methods] Eighteen left-handers participated in the experiment. There were ten males and eight females subjects. The degree of wrist flexion of 18 left-handers was analyzed when using scissors designed for left-handers and when using scissors designed for right-handers. [Results] When left-handers used left-handed scissors, they carried out the task while extending the wrist at 4.67±14.60°, but when they used right-handed scissors, they carried out the task while flexing the wrist at 1.19±12.41°. When left-handers used left-handed scissors, the error rate was 1.39±1.29 times on average, but when they used right-handed scissors, the rate was 0.72±0.67 times on average. [Conclusion] When left-hand dominant persons used left-handed scissors rather than right-handed scissors, the degree of wrist flexion decreased, which created more functionality, and the accuracy of the cutting increased. For improved cutting accuracy and wrist stability and to protect the wrist from extensive flexion, it is necessary for left-handers to use scissors that are made for left-handed people.

Automatic left and right lung separation using free-formed surface fitting on volumetric CT.

This study presents a completely automated method for separating the left and right lungs using free-formed surface fitting on volumetric computed tomography (CT). The left and right lungs are roughly divided using iterative 3-dimensional morphological operator and a Hessian matrix analysis. A point set traversing between the initial left and right lungs is then detected with a Euclidean distance transform to determine the optimal separating surface, which is then modeled from the point set using a free-formed surface-fitting algorithm. Subsequently, the left and right lung volumes are smoothly and directly separated using the separating surface. The performance of the proposed method was estimated by comparison with that of a human expert on 44 CT examinations. For all data sets, averages of the root mean square surface distance, maximum surface distance, and volumetric overlap error between the results of the automatic and the manual methods were 0.032 mm, 2.418 mm, and 0.017 %, respectively. Our study showed the feasibility of automatically separating the left and right lungs by identifying the 3D continuous separating surface on volumetric chest CT images.

Establishing and testing the "reuse potential" indicator for managing wastes as resources.

This study advances contemporary ideas promoting the importance of managing wastes as resources such as closed-loop or circular material economies, and sustainable materials management by reinforcing the notion of a resource-based paradigm rather than a waste-based one. It features the creation of a quantitative tool, the "reuse potential indicator" to specify how "resource-like" versus how "waste-like" specific materials are on a continuum. Even with increasing attention to waste reuse and resource conservation, constant changes in product composition and complexity have left material managers without adequate guidance to make decisions about what is technically feasible to recover from the discard stream even before markets can be considered. The reuse potential indicator is developed to aid management decision-making about waste based not on perception but more objectively on the technical ability of the materials to be reused in commerce. This new indicator is based on the extent of technological innovation and commercial application of actual reuse approaches identified and cataloged. Coal combustion by-products (CCBs) provide the test case for calculating the reuse potential indicator. While CCBs are often perceived as wastes and then isolated in landfills or surface impoundments, there is also a century-long history in the industry of developing technologies to reuse CCBs. The recent statistics show that most CCBs generated in Europe and Japan are reused (90-95%), but only 40-45% of CCBs are used in the United States. According to the reuse potential calculation, however, CCBs in the United States have high technical reusability. Of the four CCBs examined under three different regulatory schemes, reuse potential for boiler slag and flue-gas desulfurization gypsum maintains a value greater than 0.8 on a 0-1 scale, indicating they are at least 80% resource-like. Under current regulation in the United States, both fly ash and bottom ash are 80-90% resource-like. Very strict regulation would remove many reuse options decreasing potential for these two CCBs to 30% resource-like. A more holistic view of waste and broad application of the new indicator would make clear what technologies are available and assist public and private decision makers in setting quantitative material reuse targets from a new knowledge base that reinforces a resource-based paradigm.

Effect of Vestibulosympathetic Reflex and Baroreflex on Expression of pERK in the Nucleus Tractus Solitarius following Acute Hypotension in Conscious Rats.

Control of blood pressure is maintained by the interaction between the arterial baroreflex and vestibulosympathetic reflex during postural changes. In this study, the contributions of vestibular receptors and baroreceptors to the maintenance of blood pressure following acute hypotension were compared in terms of phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinase (pERK) expression in the nucleus tractus solitaries (NTS). Expression of pERK in the NTS was measured in conscious rats that had undergone bilateral labyrinthectomy (BL) and/or sinoaortic denervation (SAD) 5, 10, 20, and 40 min following acute hypotension induced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) infusion. Expression of pERK increased significantly in the NTS in the control group following SNP infusion, and the expression peaked at 10 min after SNP infusion. The number of pERK positive neurons increased following SNP infusion in BL, SAD, and BL+SAD groups, although the increase was smaller than in control group. The BL group showed a relatively higher reduction in pERK expression than the SAD group, and the pERK expression in the NTS was localized to the caudal portion of the nuclei in the BL and SAD groups. These results suggest that the vestibular receptors may play a key role in maintaining blood pressure following acute hypotension; thus, the vestibular system may contribute to compensate for orthostatic hypotension.

Characteristics of Aqueous Chemical Species Generation in Plasma-Facing Liquid Systems Using Helium Jet Plasma.

Plasma-facing liquids (PFLs) facilitate the storage of reactive O and N species (RONS), including H2O2 and NO2 -, which remain in the PFL after plasma treatment, and they can continuously influence the target immersed in the liquid. However, their behaviors and levels of generation and extinction depend strongly on the plasma characteristics and liquid condition. Therefore, understanding the effects of the liquid type on the plasma discharge characteristics and the RONS generated via plasma discharge is necessary. We compared the RONS generation and storage trends of deionized H2O and a high-conductivity PFL, RPMI 1640, which is a well-known cell culture medium commonly used to culture mammalian cells. RPMI 1640 acted as an electrode and enhanced the plasma discharge power by supplying abundant radicals and RONS. The production of gaseous hydroxyl radicals and NO markedly increased, which facilitated H2O2 and NO2 - production in the PFL for the first 200 s, and then the increase in the RONS concentration stagnated. With respect to storage, as the components within RMPI 1640 exhibited high reaction constants for their reactions with H2O2, H2O2 elimination was completed in <30 min. Unlike H2O2, the concentration of NO2 - in the PFL was unchanged.