Production of Transgenic Cloned Miniature Pigs with Membrane-bound Human Fas Ligand (FasL) by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

Cell-mediated xenograft rejection, including NK cells and CD8+ CTL, is a major obstacle in successful pig-to-human xenotransplantation. Human CD8+ CTL and NK cells display high cytotoxicity for pig cells, mediated at least in part by the Fas/FasL pathway. To prevent cell-mediated xenocytotoxicity, a membrane-bound form of human FasL (mFasL) was generated as an inhibitor for CTL and NK cell cytotoxicity that could not be cleaved by metalloproteinase to produce putative soluble FasL. We produced two healthy transgenic pigs harboring the mFasL gene via somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). In a cytotoxicity assay using transgenic clonal cell lines and transgenic pig ear cells, the rate of CD8+ CTL-mediated cytotoxicity was significantly reduced in transgenic pig's ear cells compared with that in normal minipig fetal fibroblasts. Our data indicate that grafts of transgenic pigs expressing membrane-bound human FasL control the cellular immune response to xenografts, creating a window of opportunity to facilitate xenograft survival

Olfactory Identification Test Using Familiar Distracters for Koreans

ObjectivesOdors used in an odor identification test should be familiar to the subject, but there are some unfamiliar distracters in Korean version of Sniffin' stick (KVSS) II identification test. In this study, we used the results of the original version of KVSS II identification to modify the KVSS II identification test.MethodsEighty-three participants took an original version of KVSS II identification test and a visual analogue scale of subjective odor function. KVSS II identification which has 16 items was performed to choose one out of four odors items. And visual analogue scale was checked from 0 to 10 points of their subjective olfactory function. Two weeks later they took the modified version of KVSS II identification test. Hyposmic or anosmic patients were excluded.ResultsThe mean score of the original version of KVSS II identification and modified version of KVSS II identification were 11.3 and 12.5, respectively (P<0.05). The KVSS II identification test and subjective olfactory function were positively correlated (r=0.247, P<0.05), as were the modified KVSS II identification test and subjective olfactory function (r=0.329, P<0.05).ConclusionAfter modification of distracters, KVSS II identification test appears to be suited for assessment of olfactory function

A Case of Infected Left Atrial Myxoma With Concomitant Mitral Valve Endocarditis

Myxoma is the most common primary tumor in the heart. Cardiac myxomas can present in various manners including embolization and fever, sometimes simulating endocarditis. However, they are rarely infected. We report here a case of an infected left atrial myxoma that seeded a normal mitral valve and atypically presented with multiple embolic events in the lower extremities along with multiple splenic and a cerebellar infarction

Turbulent wake field reconstruction of VLCC models using two-dimensional towed underwater PIV measurements

In the present study, the wake fields of two full ship models were measured using a two-dimensional (2D) towed underwater particle image velocimetry (PIV) system to identify the flow characteristics around a hull with a high block coefficient. The 2D PIV measurements and reconstructing the three-dimensional (3D) flow field by stacking the 2D measurements were validated and applied to the model ship wakes in a towing tank. The bare hull wake was measured for a very large crude oil carrier (VLCC) model, KVLCC2, at a Froude number of 0.142 based on the length between perpendiculars (L-pp). These measurements were compared with those of five-hole Pitot tubes, a Pitot-static tube, and hot-wire anemometers for validation. After the validation tests, the nominal wake field of a generic VLCC model with a Froude number of 0.145 based on L-pp was measured. To identify the effects of a rudder and rotating propeller on the mean velocity and turbulence characteristics, a 3D reconstruction was carried out for the generic VLCC model under self-propulsion conditions. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Y

Ubiquitous Access to Home Appliance Control System Using Infrared Ray and Power Line Communication

A home appliance control system is a legitimate need of people nowadays. Digital home providers like to install their own network and provide home network enabled appliances. It implies customers need to replace existing appliances with new expensive home network-enabled appliances. In this paper, a simple but reliable approach to control home appliances is presented. In this approach, we use infrared ray and power line communication integration in our home appliances control system. This system supports the ubiquitous access control mechanism which enables users to check their appliances\u27 statuses and control them remotely through their cellular phone or Internet