Performance analysis of non-circular microchannels flooded with CuO-water nanofluid

This paper was presented at the 3rd Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2011), which was held at the Makedonia Palace Hotel, Thessaloniki in Greece. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Thessaly, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute.In this study the performances of various non-circular microchannel heat sinks (normalized with circular shape) have been comparatively analyzed for CuO-water nanofluid and baseline pure water flow. Nusselt number and Poiseuille number for each microchannel and thermo-physical properties of CuO-water nanofluid (viz., thermal conductivity, viscosity, specific heat and density) have been designed either empirically or from literature. Results for trapezoidal shape gives highest normalized pressure drops among all cases. Thermal performances for constant heat flux and constant wall temperature boundary conditions have been assessed in terms of normalized outlet wall temperature and normalized heat exchange rate. Results show that when thermal performance of any microchannel heat sink (MHS) improves, the hydraulic performance deteriorates. Trapezoidal microchannel gives best thermal performance in terms of normalized heat exchange rate specially with CuO-water nanofluids flow

Utilizing Computational Complexity to Protect Cryptocurrency against Quantum Threats: A Review

Digital currency is primarily designed on problems that are computationally hard to solve using traditional computing techniques. However, these problems are now vulnerable due to the computational power of quantum computing. For the postquantum computing era, there is an immense need to reinvent the existing digital security measures. Problems that are computationally hard for any quantum computation will be a possible solution to that. This research summarizes the current security measures and how the new way of solving hard problems will trigger the future protection of the existing digital currency from the future quantum threat

Effective Capacity in Broadcast Channels with Arbitrary Inputs

We consider a broadcast scenario where one transmitter communicates with two receivers under quality-of-service constraints. The transmitter initially employs superposition coding strategies with arbitrarily distributed signals and sends data to both receivers. Regarding the channel state conditions, the receivers perform successive interference cancellation to decode their own data. We express the effective capacity region that provides the maximum allowable sustainable data arrival rate region at the transmitter buffer or buffers. Given an average transmission power limit, we provide a two-step approach to obtain the optimal power allocation policies that maximize the effective capacity region. Then, we characterize the optimal decoding regions at the receivers in the space spanned by the channel fading power values. We finally substantiate our results with numerical presentations.Comment: This paper will appear in 14th International Conference on Wired&Wireless Internet Communications (WWIC

The Snail repressor recruits EZH2 to specific genomic sites through the enrollment of the lncRNA HOTAIR in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

The transcription factor Snail is a master regulator of cellular identity and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) directly repressing a broad repertoire of epithelial genes. How chromatin modifiers instrumental to its activity are recruited to Snail-specific binding sites is unclear. Here we report that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOTAIR (for HOX Transcript Antisense Intergenic RNA) mediates a physical interaction between Snail and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), an enzymatic subunit of the polycomb-repressive complex 2 and the main writer of chromatin-repressive marks. The Snail-repressive activity, here monitored on genes with a pivotal function in epithelial and hepatic morphogenesis, differentiation and cell-type identity, depends on the formation of a tripartite Snail/HOTAIR/EZH2 complex. These results demonstrate an lncRNA-mediated mechanism by which a transcriptional factor conveys a general chromatin modifier to specific genes, thereby allowing the execution of hepatocyte transdifferentiation; moreover, they highlight HOTAIR as a crucial player in the Snail-mediated EMT.Oncogene advance online publication, 25 July 2016; doi:10.1038/onc.2016.260

Particulate air pollution and chronic ischemic heart disease in the eastern United States: a county level ecological study using satellite aerosol data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There are several known factors that cause ischemic heart disease. However, the part played by air pollution still remains something of a mystery. Recent attention has focused on the chronic effect of particulate matter on heart disease. Satellite-derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) was found to be correlated with <it>PM</it>_2.5in the eastern US. The objective of this study was to examine if there is an association between aerosol air pollution as indicated by AOD and chronic ischemic heart disease (CIHD) in the eastern US.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>An ecological geographic study method was employed. Race and age standardized mortality rate (SMR) of CIHD was computed for each of the 2306 counties for the time period 2003–2004. A mean AOD raster grid for the same period was derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) aerosol data and the average AOD was calculated for each county. A bivariate Moran's I scatter plot, a map of local indicator of spatial association (LISA) clusters, and three regression models (ordinary least square, spatial lag, and spatial error) were used to analyze the relationship between AOD and CIHD SMR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The global Moran's I value is 0.2673 (<it>p </it>= 0.001), indicating an overall positive spatial correlation of CIHD SMR and AOD. The entire study area is dominated by spatial clusters of AOD against SMR (high AOD and high SMR in the east, and low AOD and low SMR in the west) (permutations = 999, <it>p </it>= 0.05). Of the three regression models, the spatial error model achieved the best fit (R²= 0.28). The effect of AOD is positive and significant (beta = 0.7774, p = 0.01).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Aerosol particle pollution has adverse effect on CIHD mortality risk in the eastern US. High risk of CIHD mortality was found in areas with elevated levels of outdoor aerosol air pollution as indicated by satellite derived AOD. The evidence of the association would support targeting of policy interventions on such areas to reduce air pollution levels. Remote sensing AOD data could be used as an alternative health-related indictor of air quality.</p

Multi-Target Drugs: The Trend of Drug Research and Development

Summarizing the status of drugs in the market and examining the trend of drug research and development is important in drug discovery. In this study, we compared the drug targets and the market sales of the new molecular entities approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from January 2000 to December 2009. Two networks, namely, the target–target and drug–drug networks, have been set up using the network analysis tools. The multi-target drugs have much more potential, as shown by the network visualization and the market trends. We discussed the possible reasons and proposed the rational strategies for drug research and development in the future

Receptor Heteromerization Expands the Repertoire of Cannabinoid Signaling in Rodent Neurons

A fundamental question in G protein coupled receptor biology is how a single ligand acting at a specific receptor is able to induce a range of signaling that results in a variety of physiological responses. We focused on Type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) as a model GPCR involved in a variety of processes spanning from analgesia and euphoria to neuronal development, survival and differentiation. We examined receptor dimerization as a possible mechanism underlying expanded signaling responses by a single ligand and focused on interactions between CB1R and delta opioid receptor (DOR). Using co-immunoprecipitation assays as well as analysis of changes in receptor subcellular localization upon co-expression, we show that CB1R and DOR form receptor heteromers. We find that heteromerization affects receptor signaling since the potency of the CB1R ligand to stimulate G-protein activity is increased in the absence of DOR, suggesting that the decrease in CB1R activity in the presence of DOR could, at least in part, be due to heteromerization. We also find that the decrease in activity is associated with enhanced PLC-dependent recruitment of arrestin3 to the CB1R-DOR complex, suggesting that interaction with DOR enhances arrestin-mediated CB1R desensitization. Additionally, presence of DOR facilitates signaling via a new CB1R-mediated anti-apoptotic pathway leading to enhanced neuronal survival. Taken together, these results support a role for CB1R-DOR heteromerization in diversification of endocannabinoid signaling and highlight the importance of heteromer-directed signal trafficking in enhancing the repertoire of GPCR signaling

WNT signalling in prostate cancer

Genome sequencing and gene expression analyses of prostate tumours have highlighted the potential importance of genetic and epigenetic changes observed in WNT signalling pathway components in prostate tumours-particularly in the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer. WNT signalling is also important in the prostate tumour microenvironment, in which WNT proteins secreted by the tumour stroma promote resistance to therapy, and in prostate cancer stem or progenitor cells, in which WNT-β-catenin signals promote self-renewal or expansion. Preclinical studies have demonstrated the potential of inhibitors that target WNT receptor complexes at the cell membrane or that block the interaction of β-catenin with lymphoid enhancer-binding factor 1 and the androgen receptor, in preventing prostate cancer progression. Some WNT signalling inhibitors are in phase I trials, but they have yet to be tested in patients with prostate cancer

Skin-impedance in Fabry Disease: A prospective, controlled, non-randomized clinical study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We previously demonstrated improved sweating after enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) in Fabry disease using the thermo-regularity sweat and quantitative sudomotor axon reflex tests. Skin-impedance, a measure skin-moisture (sweating), has been used in the clinical evaluation of burns and pressure ulcers using the portable dynamic dermal impedance monitor (DDIM) system.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We compared skin impedance measurements in hemizygous patients with Fabry disease (22 post 3-years of bi-weekly ERT and 5 ERT naive) and 22 healthy controls. Force compensated skin-moisture values were used for statistical analysis. Outcome measures included 1) moisture reading of the 100^threpetitive reading, 2) rate of change, 3) average of 60–110^threading and 4) overall average of all readings.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All outcome measures showed a significant difference in skin-moisture between Fabry patients and control subjects (p < 0.0001). There was no difference between Fabry patients on ERT and patients naïve to ERT. Increased skin-impedance values for the four skin-impedance outcome measures were found in a small number of dermatome test-sites two days post-enzyme infusions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The instrument portability, ease of its use, a relatively short time required for the assessment, and the fact that DDIM system was able to detect the difference in skin-moisture renders the instrument a useful clinical tool.</p