Effect of lift force on the aerodynamics of dust grains in the protoplanetary disk

We newly introduce lift force into the aerodynamics of dust grains in the protoplanetary disk. Although many authors have so far investigated the effects of the drag force, gravitational force and electric force on the dust grains, the lift force has never been considered as a force exerted on the dust grains in the gas disk. If the grains are spinning and moving in the fluid, then the lift force is exerted on them. We show in this paper that the dust grains can be continuously spinning due to the frequent collisions so that the lift force continues to be exerted on them, which is valid in a certain parameter space where the grain size is larger than ~ 1 m and where the distance from the central star is larger than 1 AU for the minimum mass solar nebula. In addition, we estimate the effects of the force on the grain motion and obtain the result that the mean relative velocity between the grains due to the lift force is comparable to the gas velocity in the Kepler rotational frame when the Stokes number and lift-drag ratio are both ~ 1. This estimation is performed under the assumptions of the steady state and the isotropic spin angular momentum. We also estimate the mean relative velocity when the grains keep spinning and conclude that the lift force marginally affects the mean relative velocity in the minimum mass solar nebula. If there is a grain-concentrated part in the disk, the relative velocity due to the lift force may dominate there because of high collision rate.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Earth, Planets and Spac

Salivary cytokine panel indicative of non-small cell lung cancer.

Objective To develop a combinatorial panel of salivary cytokines that manifests the presence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that will eventually improve prognosis by facilitating the early diagnosis and management of this common cancer. Methods We performed a case-control study comparing salivary cytokine profiles of 35 adult subjects with NSCLC with those of 35 matched, healthy nonsmokers. Multiplex bead array assays were used to quantify 27 cytokines in saliva, serum, and oral mucosal transudate samples. Logistic regression analysis was used to develop an informative cytokine panel. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the discriminant ability of the panel. Results A combinatorial 12-cytokine panel (interleukin receptor antagonist [IL1RN], IL1B, IL6, IL7, IL8, IL10, C-C motif chemokine ligand 11 [CCL11], tumor necrosis factor, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 [CXCL10], C-C motif chemokine ligand 3, C-C motif chemokine ligand 4, and platelet-derived growth factor-BB) distinguished patients with NSCLC from healthy controls. Further, ROC analysis revealed that a cytokine panel comprising IL10 (odds ratio, 1.156) and CXCL10 (odds ratio, 1.000) discriminated NSCLC with a sensitivity of 60.6% and specificity of 80.8% (area under the ROC curve, 0.701). Conclusion A combinatorial panel of select salivary cytokines indicates the presence of NSCLC

Competing proposal for the Asian basket currency

This paper sets out to conduct a comparative study of competing proposals for the Asian basket currency based on objective criteria. One of the proposals is ACU: the basket currency which is composed of several Asian currencies. The other is DEY, which the yen, the dollar and the euro comprise. Statistical examinations by using unconditional volatility can not determine relative merits of competing proposals. Meanwhile results from fluctuation widths demonstrate a clear-cut advantage of ACU over DEY. This result implies much higher feasibility of a target zone mechanism applying ACU. Besides, this study clarifies an instability of DEY is attributed to the unprecedented global imbalance.　JEL classification: F15, F31, F33　Keywords : Basket currency, Target zone syste

Are Foreign Banks in China Homogenous? : Classification of their Business Patterns

This study investigates the differences in the business patterns of foreign banks in China. Most previous studies examined the Chinese banking sector in the light of bank efficiency. This study sheds new light on foreign banks’ activities. We investigate 30 foreign banks in China using detailed financial data collected in 2016. This investigation uses non-hierarchical X-means clustering, as this method automatically presents an optimal number of clusters and sorts the foreign banks into their appropriate clusters. The X-means clustering method indicates three business patterns among foreign banks. It also characterizes respective clusters and demonstrates that several banks are oriented toward localization strategies. Other banks focus on security investments and the rest depend on both interbank loans and loans including corporate loans

Disposable collection kit for rapid and reliable collection of saliva.

ObjectivesTo describe and evaluate disposable saliva collection kit for rapid, reliable, and reproducible collection of saliva samples.MethodsThe saliva collection kit comprised of a saliva absorbent swab and an extractor unit was used to retrieve whole saliva samples from 10 subjects. The accuracy and precision of the extracted volumes (3, 10, and 30 μl) were compared to similar volumes drawn from control samples obtained by passive drool. Additionally, the impact of kit collection method on subsequent immunoassay results was verified by assessing salivary cortisol levels in the samples and comparing them to controls.ResultsThe recovered volumes for the whole saliva samples were 3.85 ± 0.28, 10.79 ± 0.95, and 31.18 ± 1.72 μl, respectively (CV = 8.76%) and 2.91 ± 0.19, 9.75 ± 0.43, and 29.64 ± 0.91 μl, respectively, (CV = 6.36%) for the controls. There was a close correspondence between the salivary cortisol levels from the saliva samples obtained by the collection kit and the controls (R(2)  > 0.96).ConclusionsThe disposable saliva collection kit allows accurate and repeatable collection of fixed amounts of whole saliva and does not interfere with subsequent measurements of salivary cortisol. The simple collection process, lack of elaborate specimen recovery steps, and the short turnaround time (<3 min) should render the kit attractive to test subjects and researchers alike