Segment-Based Wall Treatment Model for Heat Transfer Rate in Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

In this study, a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) model that applies a segment-based boundary treatment is used to simulate natural convection. In a natural convection simulated using an SPH model, the wall boundary treatment is a major issue because accurate heat transfer from boundaries should be calculated. The boundary particle method, which models the boundary by placing multiple layers of particles on and behind the wall boundary, is the most widely used boundary treatment method. Although this method can impose accurate boundary conditions, boundary modeling for complex shapes is challenging and requires excessive computational costs depending on the boundary shape. In this study, we utilize a segment-based boundary treatment method to model the wall boundary and apply this method to the energy conservation equation for the wall heat transfer model. The proposed method solves the problems arising from the use of boundary particles and simultaneously provides accurate heat transfer calculation results for the wall. In various numerical examples, the proposed method is verified through a comparison with available experimental results, SPH results using the boundary particle method, and finite volume method (FVM) results

Methods and mechanisms to improve endothelial colony forming cell (ECFC) survival and promote ECFC vasculogenesis in three dimensional (3D) collagen matrices in vitro and in vivo

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Human cord blood (CB) derived circulating endothelial colony forming cells (ECFCs) display a hierarchy of clonogenic proliferative potential and possess de novo vessel forming ability upon implantation in immunodeficient mice. Since survival of ECFC post-implantation is a critical variable that limits in vivo vasculogenesis, we tested the hypothesis that activation of Notch signaling or co-implantation of ECFC with human platelet lysate (HPL) would enhance cultured ECFC vasculogenic abilities in vitro and in vivo. Co-implantation of ECFCs with Notch ligand Delta-like 1 (DL1) expressing OP9 stromal cells (OP9-DL1) decreased apoptosis of ECFC in vitro and increased vasculogenesis of ECFC in vivo. The co-culture of ECFC with HPL diminished apoptosis of ECFC by altering the expression of pro-survival molecules (pAkt, pBad and Bcl-xL) in vitro and increased vasculogenesis of human EC-derived vessels both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, activation of the Notch pathway by OP9-DL1 stromal cells or co-implantation of ECFC with HPL enhances vasculogenesis and augments blood vessel formation by diminishing apoptosis of the implanted ECFC. The results from this study will provide critical information for the development of a cell therapy for limb and organ re-vascularization that can be applied to recovery of ischemic tissues in human subjects

Yoshinaga Fumis Ōoku: Historical Imagination and the Potential of Japanese Womens Manga

This article analyzes three aspects of Yoshinaga Fumis Ōoku: The Inner Chambers: its rereading of Japanese history from a female perspective, its reconstruction of gender relations as entertainment, and its incorporation of the legacy of girls (shōjo) and Boys Love manga. Heavily influenced by Yoshiya Nobukos novel, Wives of the Tokugawa Family, Ōoku depicts a number of female shoguns and their male companions across generations in order to highlight the problems of the existing, oppressive social structure and portray relationships between the genders as initiated by women. A comprehensive description of the rise and fall of a female shogunate allows Yoshinaga to illustrate the transformation and reconstruction of gender as a social construct. This manner of storytelling is rooted in the tradition of girls manga, which explores the use of androgynous heroines. Ōoku also shares much in common with Yaoi manga, which successfully explores the theme of gender difference in depicting male homosexuality. By blurring the conventional boundaries between girls, Yaoi, and amateur fanwork manga (dōjinshi) and creatively incorporating the legacies of each genre, Yoshinagas Ōoku demonstrates the potential of Japanese womens manga, a feat deserving of high critical praise. In this work, Yoshinaga succeeds in adroitly challenging readers notions of gender while remaining firmly within the bounds of popular entertainment

Preclinical Development of Genetic Normalization Strategies to Treat Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are defined as a group of conditions with onset in the developmental period, including intellectual or language impairments, attention-deficit disorders, and autism spectrum disorder. The United States’ National Health Interview Survey has shown that 1 in 6 children have a developmental disability. The current guidelines for NDDs recommend undergoing an evaluation for genetic etiology and receiving general developmental interventions. Despite no approved treatments for NDDs, development of precision treatment strategies for NDDs has been on the rise. Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by monoallelic mutations or deletions of Transcription Factor 4 (TCF4). A decade of basic research has led to an increased understanding of TCF4, including genetic variants and functional roles in brain development. The development of PTHS mouse models has expanded knowledge in molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying PTHS, underpinning the potential therapeutic opportunities to treat the disorder. However, effective therapeutic approaches for PTHS have not been developed yet. The absence of a validated preclinical pipeline has ultimately impeded successful therapeutic development. Here I propose a genetic normalization strategy to treat PTHS and experimentally demonstrate the feasibility of treating PTHS by normalizing TCF4 expression. Furthermore, I address the challenges faced in developing a rational preclinical pipeline by characterizing the cell type-specific distribution of TCF4 and identifying a feasible intervention window. The studies comprising this dissertation provide an important framework for future rational design of genetic normalization clinical treatments for PTHS.Doctor of Philosoph