Development of suction pipe design criterion to secure oil return to compressor

In the present work, phenomena associated with counter current flow limitation (CCFL) were experimentally investigated using small diameter tubes in order to suggest criterion for which the oil return is secured. The test section is made of Pyrex glass tube to allow visual observation. The inner diameter of the test tube is 7mm and the height is 1m. The inclination of test tubes varied from vertical to crank type with various horizontal lengths. Waterair flow and lubricant oil-air flow were examined through a series of experiment at various liquid flow rates. In this experimental study, flow reversal and flooding phenomena were visually observed and two-phase flow rate were measured. Flow reversal point represents the air flow rate when the liquid film begins to flow downwards in the tube below the liquid inlet location. Whole supplied liquid flows upward when the gas flow rate is larger than this value. So the flow reversal point can be interpreted as oil return criterion and the flow reversal points were measured using various shape of test section in a wide range of liquid flow rate. The gas velocities for the flow reversal point appeared to be similar over a certain range of liquid flow rate. Flooding point was defined as the air flow rate when liquid starts to flow above the liquid inlet part. The air flow rate needed to cause flooding is inversely proportional to the liquid flow rate. Both flow reversal and flooding velocity also depend on the inclination angle, horizontal length and liquid property

Golgi Outpost Synthesis Impaired by Toxic Polyglutamine Proteins Contributes to Dendritic Pathology in Neurons

Dendrite aberration is a common feature of neurode-generative diseases caused by protein toxicity, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. Here, we show that nuclear polyglutamine (polyQ) toxicity resulted in defective terminal dendrite elongation accompanied by a loss of Golgi outposts (GOPs) and a decreased supply of plasma membrane (PM) in Drosophila class IV dendritic arborization (da) (C4 da) neurons. mRNA sequencing revealed that genes downregulated by polyQ proteins included many secretory pathway-related genes, including COPII genes regulating GOP synthesis. Transcription factor enrichment analysis identified CREB3L1/CrebA, which regulates COPII gene expression. CrebA overexpression in C4 da neurons restores the dysregulation of COPII genes, GOP synthesis, and PM supply. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-PCR revealed that CrebA expression is regulated by CREB-binding protein (CBP), which is sequestered by polyQ proteins. Furthermore, co-overexpression of CrebA and Rac1 synergistically restores the polyQ-induced dendrite pathology. Collectively, our results suggest that GOPs impaired by polyQ proteins contribute to dendrite pathology through the CBP-CrebA-COPII pathway. (c) 2017 The Author(s).1

Protection from Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome by Eyedrop Vaccination with Modified Enterohemorrhagic <i>E. coli</i> Outer Membrane Vesicles

<div><p>We investigated whether eyedrop vaccination using modified outer membrane vesicles (mOMVs) is effective for protecting against hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) caused by enterohemorrhagic <i>E. coli</i> (EHEC) O157:H7 infection. Modified OMVs and waaJ-mOMVs were prepared from cultures of MsbB- and Shiga toxin A subunit (STxA)-deficient EHEC O157:H7 bacteria with or without an additional <i>waaJ</i> mutation. BALB/c mice were immunized by eyedrop mOMVs, waaJ-mOMVs, and mOMVs plus polymyxin B (PMB). Mice were boosted at 2 weeks, and challenged peritoneally with wild-type OMVs (wtOMVs) at 4 weeks. As parameters for evaluation of the OMV-mediated immune protection, serum and mucosal immunoglobulins, body weight change and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/Creatinin (Cr) were tested, as well as histopathology of renal tissue. In order to confirm the safety of mOMVs for eyedrop use, body weight and ocular histopathological changes were monitored in mice. Modified OMVs having penta-acylated lipid A moiety did not contain STxA subunit proteins but retained non-toxic Shiga toxin B (STxB) subunit. Removal of the polymeric O-antigen of O157 LPS was confirmed in waaJ-mOMVs. The mice group vaccinated with mOMVs elicited greater humoral and mucosal immune responses than did the waaJ-mOMVs and PBS-treated groups. Eyedrop vaccination of mOMVs plus PMB reduced the level of humoral and mucosal immune responses, suggesting that intact O157 LPS antigen can be a critical component for enhancing the immunogenicity of the mOMVs. After challenge, mice vaccinated with mOMVs were protected from a lethal dose of wtOMVs administered intraperitoneally, conversely mice in the PBS control group were not. Collectively, for the first time, EHEC O157-derived mOMV eyedrop vaccine was experimentally evaluated as an efficient and safe means of vaccine development against EHEC O157:H7 infection-associated HUS.</p></div

Eyedrop Vaccination Induced Systemic and Mucosal Immunity against Influenza Virus in Ferrets

<div><p>We investigated eyedrop vaccination (EDV) in pre-clinical development for immunological protection against influenza and for potential side effects involving ocular inflammation and the central nervous system (CNS). Live attenuated influenza EDV, CA07 (H1N1), PZ-4 (H1N2) and Uruguay (H3N2), induced both systemic and mucosal virus-specific antibody responses in ferrets. In addition, EDV resulted in a clinically significant protection against viral challenge, and suppression of viral replication in nasal secretion and lung tissue. Regarding safety, we found that administered EDV flow through the tear duct to reach the base of nasal cavity, and thus do not contact the olfactory bulb. All analyses for potential adverse effects due to EDV, including histological and functional examinations, did not reveal significant side effects. On the basis of these findings, we propose that EDV as effective, while being a safe administration route with minimum local side effects, CNS invasion, or visual function disturbance.</p></div

List of influenza viruses used for vaccination and challenge in this study.

<p>List of influenza viruses used for vaccination and challenge in this study.</p

Characterization of modified OMVs isolated from EHEC O157:H7 mutants.

<p>(A, B) EHEC O157:H7-derived mOMVs were characterized by TEM and immunoblot (IB) analysis. The two mOMVs (mOMV and waaJ-mOMV) visualized by TEM exhibited the expected shape and size, suggesting that waaJ-mOMVs with uniformly truncated LPS were more heterogeneous than mOMVs. (C) IB analysis of OMVs with monoclonal antibodies (anti-STx2A and anti-STx2B) revealed that the mOMVs (lane 2) were STxA-deficient, but retained STxB subunits compared to the OMVs of parental Sakai-DM strain (lane 1), which produces less endotoxic form of LPS <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0100229#pone.0100229-Kim1" target="_blank">[5]</a>.</p

Eyedrop vaccination of mOMVs can protect vaccinated mice from wtOMVs challenge.

<p>For the protection assay, groups of BALB/c mice vaccinated with 10 µg of the mOMVs resolved in 5 µl PBS or PBS by eyedrop on both eyes twice at a 2-week interval. At 2 weeks after final vaccination, mice were injected with 1.5X LD₅₀ of wild-type EHEC O157:H7 OMVs (LD₅₀ 0.274 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. Body weights (A) and survival rates (B) were monitored daily. For the measurement of BUN (C) and creatinine (D) levels as indicators of mouse renal function, serum samples were acquired from all challenged mice daily. (E) For the assessment of renal failure by histological observation, kidney tissues were sampled from survived mice of each group at 4 days post challenge and stained with H&E staining (original magnification×100). Results are representative of three independent experiments, with five mice in each experimental group. *<i>p</i><0.05 versus PBS-vaccinated group.</p

Eyedrop inoculation of vaccine-strain LAIVs does not induce inflammation in ferret eye tissues.

<p>(A) Histology of eye tissues 24 h after PBS (a, b) and various LAIVs including CA07 (H1N1) (c, d), PZ-4 (H1N2) (e, f), Uruguay (H3N2) (g, h) on eyes of ferrets. b, d, f, and h are magnified ones of the rectangle area in their paired pictures. (B) After the ferrets were dark-adapted for 12 h, full-field ERG recording was performed on both eyes of under the anesthesia (Pre), then retaining the ferrets in dark room for ferret’s dark-adaptation eyedrop CA07 (H1N1) LAIV was administered only on right eye. After 24 h the eyedrop vaccination, full-field ERG recording was performed again on both eyes of under the anesthesia (Post).</p

Eyedrop vaccination of mOMVs plus PMB blocked immune responses in mice.

<p>Groups of mice given the 10 µg of mOMVs alone or plus 10 µg of PMB resolved in 5 µl of PBS by eyedrop on each eye twice at a 2-week interval. mOMVs- (A) or Anti-LPS_O157-specific antibody titers (B) were measured by ELISA in serum or in various mucosal secretions at 2 weeks after final vaccination. Results are representative of three independent experiments, with five mice in each experimental group. **<i>p</i><0.01, ***<i>p</i><0.001 compared with the PBS group; §<i>p</i><0.05, §§§<i>p</i><0.001 compared with mOMV-vaccinated group.</p