2,845 research outputs found
Fabrication of Embedded Microvalve on PMMA Microfluidic Devices through Surface Functionalization
The integration of a PDMS membrane within orthogonally placed PMMA
microfluidic channels enables the pneumatic actuation of valves within bonded
PMMA-PDMS-PMMA multilayer devices. Here, surface functionalization of PMMA
substrates via acid catalyzed hydrolysis and air plasma corona treatment were
investigated as possible techniques to permanently bond PMMA microfluidic
channels to PDMS surfaces. FTIR and water contact angle analysis of
functionalized PMMA substrates showed that air plasma corona treatment was most
effective in inducing PMMA hydrophilicity. Subsequent fluidic tests showed that
air plasma modified and bonded PMMA multilayer devices could withstand fluid
pressure at an operational flow rate of 9 mircoliters/min. The pneumatic
actuation of the embedded PDMS membrane was observed through optical microscopy
and an electrical resistance based technique. PDMS membrane actuation occurred
at pneumatic pressures of as low as 10kPa and complete valving occurred at
14kPa for 100 micrometers x 100 micrometers channel cross-sections.Comment: Submitted on behalf of EDA Publishing Association
(http://irevues.inist.fr/handle/2042/16838
Flow in straight through labyrinth seal: a comparison of fluid structure interaction effects
A numerical study has been conducted to study the fluid structural interaction in a straight through labyrinth seal (half-model). The structural effect is identified and the fluid force is correlated with it which gives an estimate of the deformation that takes place in the seal. The distribution of the radial deformation along the seal axis for the rotational speed ranging from 6000 rpm to 15000 rpm is reported in this paper. The radial deformation which decreases the clearance between the rotating and stationary parts of sealing surface is an indication that centrifugal growth occurs. This finding is in agreement with other numerical and experimental work reported in the literature
Role of Interleukin 17 in arthritis chronicity through survival of synoviocytes via regulation of synoviolin expression
Background:
The use of TNF inhibitors has been a major progress in the treatment of chronic inflammation. However, not all patients respond. In addition, response will be often lost when treatment is stopped. These clinical aspects indicate that other cytokines might be involved and we focus here on the role of IL-17. In addition, the chronic nature of joint inflammation may contribute to reduced response and enhanced chronicity. Therefore we studied the capacity of IL-17 to regulate synoviolin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase implicated in synovial hyperplasia in human rheumatoid arthritis (RA) FLS and in chronic reactivated streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-induced arthritis.<p></p>
Methodology/Principal Findings:
Chronic reactivated SCW-induced arthritis was examined in IL-17R deficient and wild-type mice. Synoviolin expression was analysed by real-time RT-PCR, Western Blot or immunostaining in RA FLS and tissue, and p53 assessed by Western Blot. Apoptosis was detected by annexin V/propidium iodide staining, SS DNA apoptosis ELISA kit or TUNEL staining and proliferation by PCNA staining. IL-17 receptor A (IL-17RA), IL-17 receptor C (IL-17-RC) or synoviolin inhibition were achieved by small interfering RNA (siRNA) or neutralizing antibodies. IL-17 induced sustained synoviolin expression in RA FLS. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced RA FLS apoptosis was associated with reduced synoviolin expression and was rescued by IL-17 treatment with a corresponding increase in synoviolin expression. IL-17RC or IL-17RA RNA interference increased SNP-induced apoptosis, and decreased IL-17-induced synoviolin. IL-17 rescued RA FLS from apoptosis induced by synoviolin knockdown. IL-17 and TNF had additive effects on synoviolin expression and protection against apoptosis induced by synoviolin knowndown. In IL-17R deficient mice, a decrease in arthritis severity was characterized by increased synovial apoptosis, reduced proliferation and a marked reduction in synoviolin expression. A distinct absence of synoviolin expressing germinal centres in IL-17R deficient mice contrasted with synoviolin positive B cells and Th17 cells in synovial germinal centre-like structures.<p></p>
Conclusion/Significance:
IL-17 induction of synoviolin may contribute at least in part to RA chronicity by prolonging the survival of RA FLS and immune cells in germinal centre reactions. These results extend the role of IL-17 to synovial hyperplasia.<p></p>
Tidal signals in ocean-bottom magnetic measurements of the Northwestern Pacific: observation versus prediction
Motional induction in the ocean by tides has long been observed by both land and satellite measurements of magnetic fields. While these signals are weak (∼10 nT) when compared to the main magnetic field, their persistent nature makes them important for consideration during geomagnetic field modelling. Previous studies have reported several discrepancies between observations and numerical predictions of the tidal magnetic signals and those studies were inconclusive of the source of the error. We address this issue by (1) analysing magnetometer data from ocean-bottom stations, where the low-noise and high-signal environment is most suitable for detecting the weak tidal magnetic signals, (2) by numerically predicting the magnetic field with a spatial resolution that is 16times higher than the previous studies and (3) by using four different models of upper-mantle conductivity. We use vector magnetic data from six ocean-bottom electromagnetic (OBEM) stations located in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The OBEM tidal amplitudes were derived using an iteratively re-weighted least-squares (IRLS) method and by limiting the analysis of lunar semidiurnal (M2), lunar elliptic semidinurnal (N2) and diurnal (O1) tidal modes to the night-time. Using a 3-D electromagnetic induction solver and the TPX07.2 tidal model, we predict the tidal magnetic signal. We use earth models with non-uniform oceans and four 1-D mantle sections underneath taken from Kuvshinov and Olsen, Shimizu etal. and Baba etal. to compare the effect of upper-mantle conductivity. We find that in general, the predictions and observations match within 10-70 per cent across all the stations for each of the tidal modes. The median normalized percent difference (NPD) between observed and predicted amplitudes for the tidal modes M2, N2 and O1 were 15 per cent, 47 per cent and 98 per cent, respectively, for all the stations and models. At the majority of stations, and for each of the tidal modes, the higher resolution (0.25°×0.25°) modelling gave amplitudes consistently closer to the observations than the lower resolution (1°×1°) modelling. The difference in lithospheric resistance east and west of the Izu-Bonin trench system seems to be affecting the model response and observations in the O1 tidal mode. This response is not seen in the M2 and N2 modes, thereby indicating that the O1 mode is more sensitive to lithospheric resistanc
p53 expression in squamous dysplasia associated with carcinoma of the oesophagus: evidence for field carcinogenesis
Squamous epithelial dysplasia is often observed multifocally in the cancerous oesophagus and is presumably considered to be a pre-cancerous lesion. A mutation of the p53 tumour suppressor gene is commonly identified in oesophageal cancer and dysplasia. p53 mutations can be anticipated immunohistochemically. In order to confirm the biological and clinical significance of p53 expressions in oesophageal field carcinogenesis, immunostaining for p53 in cancerous and multifocal precancerous lesions from resected human oesophagus was systematically investigated, while paying special attention to the contiguity of these lesions. Lesions expressing p53 were detected in 46.5% (20 of 43 lesions) of the invasive carcinoma, and in 51.0% (46 of 90 lesions) of the carcinoma in situ, and in 51.4% (92 of 179 lesions) of the dysplasia. Next, the p53 expression in dysplasia was compared with that in carcinoma for the same case. 37 of 39 (94.8%) dysplasias contiguous to p53-positive carcinomas also expressed p53 (P < 0.0001). On the other hand, the isolated dysplasias without contiguity to p53-positive carcinomas, only expressed p53 protein in 44.0% (11 of 25 lesions). No significant correlations were found between the p53 staining and either the clinicopathological features or prognosis. Discordant p53 alterations, such as those seen in cancerous and isolated precancerous lesions, may thus demonstrate further evidence for a multicentric or field carcinogenesis of the human oesophagus. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig
Stable two-dimensional solitary pulses in linearly coupled dissipative Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equations
A two-dimensional (2D) generalization of the stabilized Kuramoto -
Sivashinsky (KS) system is presented. It is based on the Kadomtsev-Petviashvili
(KP) equation including dissipation of the generic (Newell -- Whitehead --
Segel, NWS) type and gain. The system directly applies to the description of
gravity-capillary waves on the surface of a liquid layer flowing down an
inclined plane, with a surfactant diffusing along the layer's surface.
Actually, the model is quite general, offering a simple way to stabilize
nonlinear waves in media combining the weakly-2D dispersion of the KP type with
gain and NWS dissipation. Parallel to this, another model is introduced, whose
dissipative terms are isotropic, rather than of the NWS type. Both models
include an additional linear equation of the advection-diffusion type, linearly
coupled to the main KP-NWS equation. The extra equation provides for stability
of the zero background in the system, opening a way to the existence of stable
localized pulses. The consideration is focused on the case when the dispersive
part of the system of the KP-I type, admitting the existence of 2D localized
pulses. Treating the dissipation and gain as small perturbations and making use
of the balance equation for the field momentum, we find that the equilibrium
between the gain and losses may select two 2D solitons, from their continuous
family existing in the conservative counterpart of the model (the latter family
is found in an exact analytical form). The selected soliton with the larger
amplitude is expected to be stable. Direct simulations completely corroborate
the analytical predictions.Comment: a latex text file and 16 eps files with figures; Physical Review E,
in pres
Stable periodic waves in coupled Kuramoto-Sivashinsky - Korteweg-de Vries equations
Periodic waves are investigated in a system composed of a
Kuramoto-Sivashinsky - Korteweg-de Vries (KS-KdV) equation, which is linearly
coupled to an extra linear dissipative equation. The model describes, e.g., a
two-layer liquid film flowing down an inclined plane. It has been recently
shown that the system supports stable solitary pulses. We demonstrate that a
perturbation analysis, based on the balance equation for the field momentum,
predicts the existence of stable cnoidal waves (CnWs) in the same system. It is
found that the mean value U of the wave field u in the main subsystem, but not
the mean value of the extra field, affects the stability of the periodic waves.
Three different areas can be distinguished inside the stability region in the
parameter plane (L,U), where L is the wave's period. In these areas, stable
are, respectively, CnWs with positive velocity, constant solutions, and CnWs
with negative velocity. Multistability, i.e., the coexistence of several
attractors, including the waves with several maxima per period, appears at
large value of L. The analytical predictions are completely confirmed by direct
simulations. Stable waves are also found numerically in the limit of vanishing
dispersion, when the KS-KdV equation goes over into the KS one.Comment: a latex text file and 16 eps files with figures. Journal of the
Physical Society of Japan, in pres
Stabilized Kuramoto-Sivashinsky system
A model consisting of a mixed Kuramoto - Sivashinsky - KdV equation, linearly
coupled to an extra linear dissipative equation, is proposed. The model applies
to the description of surface waves on multilayered liquid films. The extra
equation makes its possible to stabilize the zero solution in the model,
opening way to the existence of stable solitary pulses (SPs). Treating the
dissipation and instability-generating gain in the model as small
perturbations, we demonstrate that balance between them selects two
steady-state solitons from their continuous family existing in the absence of
the dissipation and gain. The may be stable, provided that the zero solution is
stable. The prediction is completely confirmed by direct simulations. If the
integration domain is not very large, some pulses are stable even when the zero
background is unstable. Stable bound states of two and three pulses are found
too. The work was supported, in a part, by a joint grant from the Israeli
Minsitry of Science and Technology and Japan Society for Promotion of Science.Comment: A text file in the latex format and 20 eps files with figures.
Physical Review E, in pres
Studies of Phase Turbulence in the One Dimensional Complex Ginzburg-Landau Equation
The phase-turbulent (PT) regime for the one dimensional complex
Ginzburg-Landau equation (CGLE) is carefully studied, in the limit of large
systems and long integration times, using an efficient new integration scheme.
Particular attention is paid to solutions with a non-zero phase gradient. For
fixed control parameters, solutions with conserved average phase gradient
exist only for less than some upper limit. The transition from phase to
defect-turbulence happens when this limit becomes zero. A Lyapunov analysis
shows that the system becomes less and less chaotic for increasing values of
the phase gradient. For high values of the phase gradient a family of
non-chaotic solutions of the CGLE is found. These solutions consist of
spatially periodic or aperiodic waves travelling with constant velocity. They
typically have incommensurate velocities for phase and amplitude propagation,
showing thereby a novel type of quasiperiodic behavior. The main features of
these travelling wave solutions can be explained through a modified
Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation that rules the phase dynamics of the CGLE in the
PT phase. The latter explains also the behavior of the maximal Lyapunov
exponents of chaotic solutions.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX (Version 2.09), 10 Postscript-figures included,
submitted to Phys. Rev.
Surface-reconstructed Icosahedral Structures for Lead Clusters
We describe a new family of icosahedral structures for lead clusters. In
general, structures in this family contain a Mackay icosahedral core with a
reconstructed two-shell outer-layer. This family includes the anti-Mackay
icosahedra, which have have a Mackay icosahedral core but with most of the
surface atoms in hexagonal close-packed positions. Using a many-body glue
potential for lead, we identify two icosahedral structures in this family which
have the lowest energies of any known structure in the size range from 900 to
15000 lead atoms. We show that these structures are stabilized by a feature of
the many-body glue part of the interatomic potential.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figure
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