Primary site identification in children with OSA

Study Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a respiratory disorder caused by the obstruction of the upper airway during sleep. The identification of the primary site of OSA is essential to determine treatment strategy. This study aimed to establish computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis for determining the clinical severity of OSA and the primary site of OSA. Methods: Twenty children (mean age, 6 years) were divided into OSA and control groups according to their apnea hypopnea index. Three-dimensional airways were constructed from computed tomography data. The pharyngeal airway morphology and the pressure and velocity of the upper airway were evaluated using CFD analysis. Results: The maximum velocity and pressure of the upper airway in the OSA group were significantly correlated with the severity of OSA (rs = 0.741, P < 0.001; rs = 0.653, P = 0.002). A velocity higher than 12 m/s indicated the primary site of OSA. In addition, we found that the primary site of OSA is not necessarily the same as the collapsible conduit site. Conclusions: CFD analysis allows both the evaluation of the disease severity of OSA and the identification of the primary site of OSA in children. The primary site of OSA is not necessarily the same as the collapsible conduit site; therefore, CFD analysis can be used to identify the appropriate intervention for treating OSA

Numerical Analysis For Heat Driven Ejector Refrigeration Systems For Various Refrigerants

In this study, a numerical efficiency analysis for ejector refrigeration systems driven by low grade waste heat (65-85 °C) is performed. A 1-D numerical ejector model which was validated is applied to estimate the characteristics of the ejector. Investigation is focused on various refrigerants such as HFC (R134a, R245fa, R365mfc), HFO (R1234yf, R1234ze(E), R1233zd(E), R1336mzz(Z)), and natural refrigerants (NH3, R600, R600a), and their COPs (Coefficient of Performance) are compared. Main operating conditions (e.g. generation temperature, evaporation temperature, condensation temperature) are also considered to compare the system characteristics for each refrigerant. Simulations are performed for different operating conditions and their effects on system performance is analyzed. The results show that high NBP (Normal Boiling Point) refrigerants tend to show higher theoretical performance because of their high latent heat. In addition, it is found that sensitivity of generation temperature is less than evaporation temperature and condensation temperature

Mis16 and Mis18 Are Required for CENP-A Loading and Histone Deacetylation at Centromeres

AbstractCentromeres contain specialized chromatin that includes the centromere-specific histone H3 variant, spCENP-A/Cnp1. Here we report identification of five fission yeast centromere proteins, Mis14–18. Mis14 is recruited to kinetochores independently of CENP-A, and, conversely, CENP-A does not require Mis14 to associate with centromeres. In contrast, Mis15, Mis16 (strong similarity with human RbAp48 and RbAp46), Mis17, and Mis18 are all part of the CENP-A recruitment pathway. Mis15 and Mis17 form an evolutionarily conserved complex that also includes Mis6. Mis16 and Mis18 form a complex and maintain the deacetylated state of histones specifically in the central core of centromeres. Mis16 and Mis18 are the most upstream factors in kinetochore assembly as they can associate with kinetochores in all kinetochore mutants except for mis18 and mis16, respectively. RNAi knockdown in human cells shows that Mis16 function is conserved as RbAp48 and RbAp46 are both required for localization of human CENP-A