Experimental investigation of relaminarizing and transitional channel flows

A hot-wire measurement was conducted in a planar channel flow that originated from a strongly disturbed flow in an entrance channel followed by an expansion channel used to reduce the Reynolds number (Re). From ceasing decrease of the streamwise velocity fluctuation energy and the linear extrapolation of the intermittency factor, the lower marginal Re, which is defined as the minimum Re for partial existence of sustainable turbulence, is estimated around 1400 based on the channel width and the bulk velocity. The upper marginal Re at which the intermittency factor reaches one is about 2600. The flow fields passing a turbulent patch were reconstructed with conditional sampling of the streamwise velocity data based on the time of laminar-turbulence interfaces and the reconstructed flow fields indicate a large-scale flow structure across laminar and turbulent parts. This large structure makes it possible for some regions to be at higher Re than the average, so that turbulence can partly survive. The moderate-scale disturbances larger than the turbulent one appear in the non-turbulent parts of the transitional flow, and in these cases the non-turbulent velocity profile is almost identical to the turbulent one. The large-scale fluctuation is observed even over Re = 2600. This leads to the conclusion that a turbulent channel flow close to the upper marginal Re becomes inhomogeneous. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4772065]ArticlePHYSICS OF FLUIDS. 24(12):124102 (2012)journal articl

EFFECT OF SHOES AND TIGHTS WITH THE SUPPORT FUNCTION ON SUPPORT LEG DURING RUNNING

The study aimed to clarify the effect of shoes (WS) and tights (BT) with the support function on support leg during running. The subjects, eight female Japanese runners, ran for 1-min periods on a treadmill. Motion, electromyography (EMG), acceleration and angular velocity were recorded. The following results were obtained: 1) there was difference in the pronation angle between support shoes and non-support shoes. 2) There was difference in angle of lower leg in frontal plane between support shoes and non-support shoes. 3) Combination of WS and BT might decrease angle of the foot and shank in frontal plane and stabilize the trunk, but the effect varies depending on subjects

Experimental investigation of relaminarizing and transitional channel flows

A hot-wire measurement was conducted in a planar channel flow that originated from a strongly disturbed flow in an entrance channel followed by an expansion channel used to reduce the Reynolds number (Re). From ceasing decrease of the streamwise velocity fluctuation energy and the linear extrapolation of the intermittency factor, the lower marginal Re, which is defined as the minimum Re for partial existence of sustainable turbulence, is estimated around 1400 based on the channel width and the bulk velocity. The upper marginal Re at which the intermittency factor reaches one is about 2600. The flow fields passing a turbulent patch were reconstructed with conditional sampling of the streamwise velocity data based on the time of laminar-turbulence interfaces and the reconstructed flow fields indicate a large-scale flow structure across laminar and turbulent parts. This large structure makes it possible for some regions to be at higher Re than the average, so that turbulence can partly survive. The moderate-scale disturbances larger than the turbulent one appear in the non-turbulent parts of the transitional flow, and in these cases the non-turbulent velocity profile is almost identical to the turbulent one. The large-scale fluctuation is observed even over Re = 2600. This leads to the conclusion that a turbulent channel flow close to the upper marginal Re becomes inhomogeneous. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4772065]ArticlePHYSICS OF FLUIDS. 24(12):124102 (2012)journal articl

Improvement of Open Bite and Stomatognathic Function in an Axenfeld- Rieger Syndrome Patient by Orthodontic Sectional Arch Mechanics: Clinical Considerations and the Risk of Orthodontic Tooth Movement

Orthodontists need to understand the orthodontic risks associated with systemic disorders. Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome (ARS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder with genetic and morphological variability. The risks of orthodontic treatment in ARS patients have been unclear. Here we describe the correction of an anterior open bite in a 15-year-old Japanese female ARS patient by molar intrusion using sectional archwires with miniscrew implants. An undesirable development of external apical root resorption (EARR) was observed in all intrusive force-applied posterior teeth during the patient’s orthodontic treatment, suggesting that ARS patients have a higher risk of EARR than the general population

A Novel Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for Serogroup Identification of \u3cem\u3eNeisseria meningitidis\u3c/em\u3e in Cerebrospinal Fluid

We have developed a novel Neisseria meningitidis serogroup-specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for six of the most common meningococcal serogroups (A, B, C, W, X, and Y). The assay was evaluated using a set of 31 meningococcal LAMP assay positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from 1574 children with suspected meningitis identified in prospective surveillance between 1998 and 2002 in Vietnam, China, and Korea. Primer specificity was validated using 15 N. meningitidis strains (including serogroups A, B, C, E, W, X, Y, and Z) and 19 non-N. meningitidis species. The N. meningitidis serogroup LAMP detected down to ten copies and 100 colony-forming units per reaction. Twenty-nine CSF had N. meningitidis serogroup identified by LAMP compared with two CSF in which N. meningitidis serogroup was identified by culture and multi-locus sequence typing. This is the first report of a serogroup-specific identification assay for N. meningitidis using the LAMP method. Our results suggest that this assay will be a rapid, sensitive, and uniquely serogroup-specific assay with potential for application in clinical laboratories and public health surveillance systems

CAUSES OF FUNCTIONAL DECLINE IN ELDERLY HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS RECEIVING EITHER INDIVIDUAL OR EXCLUSIVE REHABILITATION THERAPY: A COHORT STUDY

Background: Recently, exclusive rehabilitation therapy was introduced to prevent functional decline due to hospital-associated deconditioning by managing older inpatients’ activities of daily living in Japan. However, this type of therapy does not provide one-on-one exercises similar to individual rehabilitation therapy. This study aimed to report the present ward conditions and the causes of the functional decline in elderly patients receiving individual or exclusive rehabilitation therapy. Methods: A total of 1,636 inpatients, aged 65 years or older, were included in the study. Barthel Index at admission and discharge was assessed prospectively to analyze functional decline. We further analyzed the causes of functional decline by investigating the inpatient’s medical records. Results: Forty-three inpatients (2.6%) had functional decline during hospitalization. There were no significant differences in age, Barthel Index at the time of admission, and the type of clinical department between inpatients with and without functional decline. The functional decline rate in individual rehabilitation therapy was 8.2%, which was significantly higher compared to exclusive rehabilitation therapy (0.8%). The most common causes of functional decline were a pain, low postoperative physical fitness, malignant neoplasm, and new-onset cerebral stroke. Conclusion: We report the present ward conditions in elderly patients receiving either individual or exclusive rehabilitation therapies. Functional decline was correlated to the inpatients’ disease and conditions. The causes of the functional decline can be classified based on whether rehabilitation was effective or ineffective. If the functional decline was caused by hospital-associated deconditioning, we should address the functional decline by providing appropriate rehabilitation methods

Carbazole and indolcarbazole-based systems: impact of the structural changes on the system properties

π-Conjugated diradical compounds, featuring unique unsaturated valences and radical centres in the ground state, are fundamentally important for understanding the nature of chemical bonds and have potential applications in material science [1] . During the last decade, there has been an increasing interest in the rationalization of how the structural changes stabilize (or destabilize) the diradical system. The tunability of the diradical character has been studied for different structural motifs such as the substitution pattern of lateral groups[2], the elongation of the conjugated core[3] or the molecular isomerism[4], among others. In this sense, we have recently reported an experimental/theoretical study of a family of carbazole-based diradicaloids with dicyanomethylene (DCM) groups incorporated via para (p-Cz and p-ICz) or meta positions (mCz and m-ICz) aiming to investigate how external stimuli impact on the molecular structure and supramolecular organization, and thus on the resulting optical and electronic properties. In addition, we theoretically investigate at the DFT level a set of ten indolocarbazole-based isomers substituted with DCM groups to disclose how their chemical reactivity and physical properties are affected by isomerism and different substitution pattern.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Plan Propio de Investigación de la UM

Insulin-like growth factor 1 modulates bioengineered tooth morphogenesis

Regenerative therapy to replace missing teeth is a critical area of research. Functional bioengineered teeth have been produced by the organ germ method using mouse tooth germ cells. However, these bioengineered teeth are significantly smaller in size and exhibit an abnormal crown shape when compared with natural teeth. The proper sizes and shapes of teeth contribute to their normal function. Therefore, a method is needed to control the morphology of bioengineered teeth. Here, we investigated whether insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) can regulate the sizes and shapes of bioengineered teeth, and assessed underlying mechanisms of such regulation. IGF1 treatment significantly increased the size of bioengineered tooth germs, while preserving normal tooth histology. IGF1-treated bioengineered teeth, which were developed from bioengineered tooth germs in subrenal capsules and jawbones, showed increased sizes and cusp numbers. IGF1 increased the number of fibroblast growth factor (Fgf4)-expressing enamel knots in bioengineered tooth germs and enhanced the proliferation and differentiation of dental epithelial and mesenchymal cells. This study is the first to reveal that IGF1 increases the sizes and cusp numbers of bioengineered teeth via the induction of enamel knot formation, as well as the proliferation and differentiation of dental epithelial and mesenchymal cells

Higher-order modulations in the skyrmion-lattice phase of Cu2_2OSeO3_3

Using small angle neutron scattering, we have investigated higher-order peaks in the skyrmion-lattice phase of Cu$_2$OSeO$_3$, in which two different skyrmion lattices, SkX1 and SkX2, are known to form. For each skyrmion-lattice phase, we observed two sets of symmetrically inequivalent peaks at the higher-order-reflection positions with the indices $(110)$ and $(200)$. Under the condition where the SkX1 and SkX2 coexist, we confirmed the absence of the scattering at $\mathbf{Q}$ positions combining reflections from the two phases, indicating a significantly weak double-scattering component. Detailed analysis of the peak profile, as well as the temperature and magnetic-field dependence of the peak intensity, also supports the intrinsic higher-order modulation rather than the parasitic double scattering. The two higher-order modulations show contrasting magnetic-field dependence; the former $(110)$ increases as the field is increased, whereas the latter $(200)$ decreases. This indicates that, in Cu$_2$OSeO$_3$, skyrmions are weakly distorted, and the distortion is field-dependent in a way that the dominant higher-order modulation switches from $(110)$ to $(200)$ under field. Monte Carlo simulations under sweeping external magnetic field qualitatively reproduce the observed magnetic-field dependence, and suggests that the higher-order modulations correspond to the superlattices of weak swirlings appearing in the middle of the original triangular-latticed skyrmions.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figure