Periodontal disease is caused by dysbiosis of the dental biofilm and the host inflammatory response. Various pathogenic factors, such as proteases and lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) produced by bacteria, ...are involved in disease progression. Endotoxin tolerance is a function of myeloid cells, which sustain inflammation and promote tissue regeneration upon prolonged stimulation by endotoxins such as LPS. The role of endotoxin tolerance is gaining attention in various chronic inflammatory diseases, but its role in periodontal disease remains elusive. Oxidative stress, one of the major risk factors for periodontal disease, promotes disease progression through various mechanisms, of which only some are known. The effect of oxidative stress on endotoxin tolerance has not yet been studied, and we postulated that endotoxin tolerance regulation may be an additional mechanism through which oxidative stress influences periodontal disease. This study aimed to reveal the effect of oxidative stress on endotoxin tolerance and that of endotoxin tolerance on periodontitis progression. The effect of oxidative stress on endotoxin tolerance was analyzed in vitro using peritoneal macrophages of mice and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The results showed that oxidative stress inhibits endotoxin tolerance induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis LPS in macrophages, at least partially, by downregulating LPS-elicited negative regulators of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. A novel oxidative stress mouse model was established using SMP30KO mice incapable of ascorbate biosynthesis. Using this model, we revealed that oxidative stress impairs endotoxin tolerance potential in macrophages in vivo. Furthermore, gingival expression of endotoxin tolerance-related genes and TLR signaling negative regulators was decreased, and symptoms of ligature-induced periodontitis were aggravated in the oxidative stress mouse model. Our findings suggest that oxidative stress may contribute to periodontitis progression through endotoxin tolerance inhibition.
The deformation of a spherical capsule in oscillating shear flow is presented. The boundary element method is used to simulate the capsule motion under Stokes flow. We show that a capsule at high ...frequencies follows the deformation given by a leading-order prediction, which is derived from an assumption of small deformation limit. At low frequencies, on the other hand, a capsule shows an overshoot phenomenon where the maximum deformation is larger than that in steady shear flow. A larger overshoot is observed for larger capillary number or viscosity ratio. Using the maximum deformation in start-up shear flow, we evaluate the upper limit of deformation in oscillating shear flow. We also show that the overshoot phenomenon may appear when the quasi-steady orientation angle under steady shear flow is less than
$9.0^{\circ }$
. We propose an equation to estimate the threshold frequency between the low-frequency range, where the capsule may have an overshoot, and the high-frequency range, where the deformation is given by the leading-order prediction. The equation only includes the viscosity ratio and the Taylor parameter under simple shear flow, so it can be extended to other deformable particles, such as bubbles and drops.
Coherent structures appear in a concentrated suspension of swimming bacteria. While transport phenomena in a suspension have been studied extensively, how energy is transported from the individual ...cell scale to the larger mesoscale remains unclear. In this study, we carry out the first successful measurement of the three-dimensional velocity field in a dense suspension of bacteria. The results show that most of the energy generated by individual bacteria dissipates on the cellular scale. Only a small amount of energy is transported to the mesoscale, but the gain in swimming velocity and mass transport due to mesoscale coherent structures is enormous. These results indicate that collective swimming of bacteria is efficient in terms of energy. This paper sheds light on how energy can be transported toward smaller wave numbers in the Stokes flow regime.
A jumping cirrus (JC) is a cloud that forms a few kilometers above an anvil cloud downwind of an overshooting top (OT). A JC transports water vapor from the troposphere into the stratosphere, where ...water vapor is an important greenhouse gas. However, the microphysics of JC has not been explored thus far. Herein, 2.5‐min rapid scan images obtained from the geostationary weather satellite Himawari‐8 were analyzed for JC observations. A dark plume was observed to appear suddenly above an anvil cloud downwind of OTs and moved 1 km upwind within 2.5 min. The brightness temperature of the plume showed that it overlaid the anvil cloud. These characteristics matched those of a JC. The reflectivity of the assumed JC at a wavelength of 0.64 μm was 0.62, whereas that of the anvil cloud on the sunny side of the JC was 1.02. The measured reflectivities were compared to those simulated using ray tracing to retrieve the microphysics of the JC. The results indicated that dark reflectivity occurred because the JC was isolated above the anvil cloud, and bright reflectivity occurred because the anvil was illuminated by the sun and scattered light from the JC. The retrieved effective radius and ice water content of the JC were 23.4–28.0 μm and 0.12–0.15 g m−3, respectively. The JC appeared to transport 10 × 103 t of ice water above deep convection within 10 min. We applied the results to analyzing the best satellite geometry for detecting and measuring JC.
Plain Language Summary
A jumping cirrus (JC) is a lively cloud that can jump 1–3 km from the cloud top of a cumulonimbus and hydrates the stratosphere, of which water vapor is an important greenhouse gas. However, the amount of hydration caused by a JC is unknown because the size and number density of JC cloud particles have not been measured. We found a dark plume‐like cloud in images from the geostationary weather satellite Himawari‐8 that suddenly appeared above a cumulonimbus; it moved 1 km upwind within 2.5 min and lengthened to 20 km in the next 2.5 min. We determined that this was a JC based on its characteristics. We reproduced the satellite data by ray tracing simulations and found that the JC transported 10 × 103 t of ice particles into the stratosphere within 10 min.
Key Points
Jumping cirrus (JC) was observed using 2.5‐min rapid scan images from the geostationary weather satellite Himawari‐8
JC suddenly appears around overshooting tops as a dark plume above the anvil
Based on reflectivity data, JC transports 10 × 103 t of ice particles above the anvil within 10 min
Background
Laparoscopic wedge resections are increasingly applied for gastric submucosal tumors such as gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Despite this, no defined strategy exists to guide the ...surgeon in choosing the appropriate laparoscopic technique for an individual case on the basis of tumor characteristics such as location or size. This study aimed to introduce a laparoscopic and endoscopic cooperative surgery (LECS) for gastric wedge resection that is applicable for submucosal tumor resection independent of tumor location and size.
Methods
Seven patients underwent LECS for the resection of gastric submucosal tumors. Both mucosal and submucosal layers around the tumor were circumferentially dissected using endoscopic submucosal dissection via intraluminal endoscopy. Subsequently, the seromusclar layer was laparoscopically dissected on the exact three-fourths cut line around the tumor. The submucosal tumor then was exteriorized to the abdominal cavity and dissected with a standard endoscopic stapling device.
Results
In all cases, the LECS procedure was successful for dissecting out the gastric submucosal tumor. In four of seven cases, the tumor was located in the upper gastric portion near the esophagogastric junction. The remaining three tumors were in the posterior gastric wall. In two cases, the tumors were more than 5 cm in diameter, and one was a GIST of the remnant stomach. The mean operation time was 169 ± 17 min, and the estimated blood loss was 7 ± 2 ml. The postoperative course was uneventful in all cases.
Conclusions
The LECS procedure for dissection of gastric submucosal tumors such as GIST may be performed safely with reasonable operation times, less bleeding, and adequate cut lines. In addition, the success of the procedure does not depend on the tumor location such as the vicinity of the esophagogastric junction or pyloric ring.
The Rare-RI Ring (R3) is a recently commissioned cyclotronlike storage ring mass spectrometer dedicated to mass measurements of exotic nuclei far from stability at Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory ...(RIBF) in RIKEN. The first application of mass measurement using the R3 mass spectrometer at RIBF is reported. Rare isotopes produced at RIBF-^{127}Sn, ^{126}In, ^{125}Cd, ^{124}Ag, ^{123}Pd-were injected in R3. Masses of ^{126}In, ^{125}Cd, and ^{123}Pd were measured whereby the mass uncertainty of ^{123}Pd was improved. This is the first reported measurement with a new storage ring mass spectrometry technique realized at a heavy-ion cyclotron and employing individual injection of the preidentified rare nuclei. The latter is essential for the future mass measurements of the rarest isotopes produced at RIBF. The impact of the new ^{123}Pd result on the solar r-process abundances in a neutron star merger event is investigated by performing reaction network calculations of 20 trajectories with varying electron fraction Y_{e}. It is found that the neutron capture cross section on ^{123}Pd increases by a factor of 2.2 and β-delayed neutron emission probability, P_{1 n}, of ^{123}Rh increases by 14%. The neutron capture cross section on ^{122}Pd decreases by a factor of 2.6 leading to pileup of material at A=122, thus reproducing the trend of the solar r-process abundances. The trend of the two-neutron separation energies (S_{2n}) was investigated for the Pd isotopic chain. The new mass measurement with improved uncertainty excludes large changes of the S_{2n} value at N=77. Such large increase of the S_{2n} values before N=82 was proposed as an alternative to the quenching of the N=82 shell gap to reproduce r-process abundances in the mass region of A=112-124.
This article evaluates the hydrodynamic interactions between two swimming bacteria precisely. We assume that each bacterium is force free and torque free, with a Stokes flow field around it. The ...geometry of each bacterium is modeled as a spherical or spheroidal body with a single helical flagellum. The movements of two interacting bacteria in an infinite fluid otherwise at rest are computed using a boundary element method, and the trajectories of the two interacting bacteria and the stresslet are investigated. The results show that as the two bacteria approach each other, they change their orientations considerably in the near field. The bacteria always avoided each other; no stable pairwise swimming motion was observed in this study. The effects of the hydrodynamic interactions between two bacteria on the rheology and diffusivity of a semidilute bacterial suspension are discussed.
Neutron diffraction measurements of H/D isotopic substitution are made at room temperature for seven H/D substituted hexafluoro-iso-propanol (HFIP; 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol)-water mixtures ...at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 HFIP mole fraction (
x
HFIP
). The eight partial structure factors except for the H(CH)-H(CH) pair obtained are subjected to an empirical potential structure refinement (EPSR) method to derive all site-site pair correlation functions. It is found that with increasing HFIP concentration the ice-like network of water disappears between
x
HFIP
= 0.1 and 0.2, followed by the formation of a chain-like water structure embedded in an intrinsic structure of HFIP evolved at
x
HFIP
= 0.4. The hydroxyl group of HFIP forms hydrogen bonds with the surrounding water molecules at all HFIP mole fractions investigated. There is no evidence that the water structure is well defined around the CF
3
groups of HFIP, but water molecules surround tangentially the CF
3
groups of HFIP.
Neutron diffraction measurements with H/D isotopic substitution and empirical potential structure refinement are made for hexafluoro-iso-propanol (HFIP; 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol)-water mixtures at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4 HFIP mole fraction.
The inflammation-based Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) has been shown to be a prognostic factor for a variety of tumours. This study investigates the significance of the modified GPS (mGPS) for the ...prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.
The mGPS (0=C-reactive protein (CRP) ≤ 10 mg l(-1), 1=CRP>10 mg l(-1) and 2=CRP>10 mg l(-1) and albumin<35 g l(-1)) was calculated on the basis of preoperative data for 1710 patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgery between January 2000 and December 2007. Patients were given an mGPS of 0, 1 or 2. The prognostic significance was analysed by univariate and multivariate analyses.
Increased mGPS was associated with male patient, old age, low body mass index, increased white cell count and neutrophils, elevated carcinoembryonic antigen and CA19-9 and advanced tumour stage. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test revealed that a higher mGPS predicted a higher risk of postoperative mortality in both relative early-stage (stage I; P<0.001) and advanced-stage cancer (stage II, III and IV; P<0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated the mGPS to be a risk factor for postoperative mortality (odds ratio 1.845; 95% confidence interval 1.184-2.875; P=0.007).
The preoperative mGPS is a simple and useful prognostic factor for postoperative survival in patients with gastric cancer.
•Evaluation of Mg ion as-implanted GaN by photothermal deflection spectroscopy.•Variation of the implanted GaN caused by thermal annealing.•Relationship among deep-level defect, Urbach energy, and ...luminescence in the gap.•Shift of the Femi level for Mg-implanted GaN by the annealing for p-type activation.
Both structure of the valence band maximum (VBM) and deep-level defects for box-profile Mg-ion implanted (4 × 1019 cm−3) GaN samples are characterized by photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS). Compared with the results evaluated by positron annihilation spectroscopy, the variations caused by the thermal annealing is discussed with respect to Urbach energy, defect levels in the band gap, and photoluminescence. Forming Urbach tail gradually at the VBM at the 1000 °C annealing, vacancy-type defects clusters without drastic decrease of deep-level defects. Green and yellow luminescence emits slightly as the PDS signal at the deep-level is decreased by the annealing at 1100 °C due to the decrease of non-radiative recombination centers. The Urbach energy is improved by the further annealing so that the luminescence becomes intense due to the energy transfer through the phonon from Urbach region. The shift of Fermi level towards the valence band at the 1300 °C annealing, the sign of p-conduction, is confirmed from the valence band spectra. Compared to the Mg-doped GaN with p-conduction, it is considered that the improvement of Urbach energy is crucial for p-type activation.
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