Interleukin-1, an inflammatory cytokine, is considered to have diverse physiological functions and pathological significances and play an important role in health and disease. In this decade, ...interleukin-1 family members have been expanding and evidence is accumulating that highlights the importance of interleukin-1 in linking innate immunity with a broad spectrum of diseases beyond inflammatory diseases. In this review, we look back on the definition of "inflammation" in traditional general pathology and discuss new insights into interleukin-1 in view of its history and the molecular bases of diseases, as well as current progress in therapeutics.
Organic light-emitting diodes are a key technology for next-generation information displays because of their low power consumption and potentially long operational lifetimes. Although devices with ...internal quantum efficiencies of approximately 100% have been achieved using phosphorescent or thermally activated delayed fluorescent emitters, a systematic understanding of materials suitable for operationally stable devices is lacking. Here we demonstrate that the operational stability of phosphorescent devices is nearly proportional to the Förster resonance energy transfer rate from the host to the emitter when thermally activated delayed fluorescence molecules are used as the hosts. We find that a small molecular size is a requirement for thermally activated delayed fluorescence molecules employed as phosphorescent hosts; in contrast, an extremely small energy gap between the singlet and triplet excited states, which is essential for an efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescent emitter, is unnecessary in the phosphorescent host.
Eco‐friendly and low‐cost cellulose nanofiber paper (nanopaper) is a promising candidate as a novel substrate for flexible electron device applications. Here, a thin transparent nanopaper‐based ...high‐mobility organic thin‐film transistor (OTFT) array is demonstrated for the first time. Nanopaper made from only native wood cellulose nanofibers has excellent thermal stability (>180 °C) and chemical durability, and a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE: 5–10 ppm K‐1). These features make it possible to build an OTFT array on nanopaper using a similar process to that for an array on conventional glass. A short‐channel bottom‐contact OTFT is successfully fabricated on the nanopaper by a lithographic and solution‐based process. Owing to the smoothness of the cast‐coated nanopaper surface, a solution processed organic semiconductor film on the nanopaper comprises large crystalline domains with a size of approximately 50–100 μm, and the corresponding TFT exhibits a high hole mobility of up to 1 cm2V‐1 s‐1 and a small hysteresis of below 0.1 V under ambient conditions. The nanopaper‐based OTFT also had excellent flexibility and can be formed into an arbitrary shape. These combined technologies of low‐cost and eco‐friendly paper substrates and solution‐based organic TFTs are promising for use in future flexible electronics application such as flexible displays and sensors.
Optically transparent paper is an attractive candidate for the substrate of eco‐friendly and low‐cost flexible electron devices. Here, a high‐mobility organic thin‐film transistor (TFT) array is demonstrated on a 20‐μm‐thick transparent cellulose nanofibers paper. The fabricated short channel TFTs exhibit a high mobility of up to 1 cm2V‐1s‐1 and air stability. The nanopaper‐based structure also has mechanical flexibility.
The apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC)/caspase-1/interleukin(IL)-1β axis, also known as the inflammasome pathway, is indispensable for IL-1β ...activation in response to various pathogens or own damages. Previously, we developed an NLRP3-inflammasome using a cell-free system and identified ASC targeting drugs; thus, examination of ASC-related histopathology in various diseases could help to provide indications for these drugs. Here, we generated mice deficient only in ASC-protein (ASC-deficient (AD) mice) using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, studied which tissues were most affected, and obtained histopathological images of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxemia. C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and (AD) mice were injected intraperitoneally with a lethal dose (50 μg/g) of LPS. Statistical analysis of the survival of C57BL/6 mice and AD mice was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. The histopathological findings of multiple tissues from these mice were compared. Acute inflammation (e.g., catarrhal inflammation), along with congestion was observed in the colon of WT mice but not in that of AD mice. Adhesion of neutrophils to capillaries, along with interstitial infiltration, were observed in multiple tissues from WT mice. In AD mice, neutrophil infiltration was less severe but remained evident in the stomach, small intestine, heart, liver, kidney, spleen, and brain. Notably, there was no difference between WT and AD mice with respect to alveolar neutrophil infiltration and interstitial edema. These findings suggest that even though ASC contributes to systemic inflammation, it is dependent on the tissue involved. Intestinal congestion and edema might be good candidates for anti-ASC-targeted therapy.
Purpose To assess the applicability of active surveillance in patients with intermediate risk prostate cancer, we compared the survival outcomes of patients with low risk and intermediate risk ...disease. Materials and Methods Active surveillance was offered to all patients with low risk (cT1-T2b and Gleason score 6 and prostate specific antigen 10 ng/ml or less) and select intermediate risk disease (age greater than 70 years with cT2c or prostate specific antigen 15 ng/ml or less, or Gleason score 3+4 or less). Data from November 1995 to May 2013 were extracted from a prospectively collected database. The primary outcome was metastasis-free survival, and secondary outcomes were overall survival, cause specific survival and treatment-free survival. Results A total of 213 intermediate risk and 732 low risk cases were identified. Median age was 72 years (IQR 67.3, 76.8) in the intermediate risk cohort and 67 years (IQR 60.6, 71.9) in the low risk group. Median followup was comparable (6.7 years for intermediate risk vs 6.5 years for low risk). Gleason 7 disease comprised 60% of the intermediate risk cohort. The 15-year metastasis-free, overall, cause specific and treatment-free survival rates were inferior in the intermediate risk group (metastasis-free survival HR 3.14, 95% CI 1.51–6.53, p=0.001, 82% for intermediate risk vs 95% for low risk). On further evaluation the estimated 15-year metastasis-free survival for cases of Gleason 6 or less with prostate specific antigen less than 10 ng/ml was 94%, Gleason 6 or less with prostate specific antigen 10 to 20 ng/ml was 94%, Gleason 3+4 with prostate specific antigen 20 ng/ml or less was 84% and Gleason 4+3 with prostate specific antigen 20 ng/ml or less was 63%. Conclusions These data support the use of active surveillance in low risk and intermediate risk cases of Gleason 6 but not Gleason 7 prostate cancer. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging and novel biomarkers might be vital in detecting favorable Gleason 7 disease.
Monte Carlo simulations of the void velocity measurement in a light-water moderated critical assembly CROCUS are performed using a continuous energy Monte Carlo code that has a special function to ...conduct frequency domain calculations using complex-valued weights of neutron noise. In the measurements that are simulated in this paper, two vertically aligned fission chambers detected the neutron noise caused by the upward moving void in a rectangular channel. The neutron noise transport calculations in the frequency domain are performed for the measurement simulations. Using the cross power spectral density between two chambers, the void velocities are calculated at frequencies from 0.1 to 12 Hz. The void velocity is overestimated at lower frequencies, and accurately predicted at higher frequencies. This frequency dependence is explained using a simple model that takes neutron noise spatial attenuation and source intensity distribution into consideration.
•Experimentally-observed flow regimes are reviewed and re-categorized into 5 types.•Criterion for bubbly to cap-bubbly flow transition is proposed and validated.•Criterion for cap-bubbly to churn ...flow transition is proposed and validated.•Criterion for transition to annular flow is proposed and validated.•Criterion for transition to finely dispersed bubbly flow is proposed and validated.•An existing drift-flux correlation is improved to be applicable to the 5 flow regimes.
This paper has studied the flow regimes and their transitions in upward gas-liquid two-phase flows in vertical rod bundle flow channels. The past experimental observations on the flow regimes have been extensively reviewed and analyzed. Various flow regimes with the observer-dependent names are re-classified into 5 flow regimes, namely, bubbly, finely dispersed bubbly, cap-bubbly, churn and annular flows according to their different flow characteristics in the vertical rod bundle flow channels. In view of the problems in the available flow regime transition criteria and the drift-flux correlations, this paper has proposed the mechanisms for the bubbly to cap-bubbly flow transition, the cap-bubbly to churn flow transition, the transition to annular flow and the transition to the finely dispersed bubbly flow and developed the corresponding flow regime transition criteria to predict the five flow regimes based on these mechanisms. This paper has further improved Han et al. correlations for the drift-flux parameters of the distribution parameter and the drift velocity to predict the void fractions in the 5 flow regimes, together the newly-developed transition criteria, in the vertical rod bundle flow channels. The newly-developed flow regime transition criteria and the improved Han et al. correlation for the drift-flux parameters of the distribution parameter and the drift velocity have been examined with the experimental data. The examination has concluded that the newly-developed flow regime transition criteria can correctly predict 82.9% of the 451 observed flow regime data in the vertical rod bundle flow channels and the drift-flux model using the improved Han et al. correlation and the newly-developed flow regime transition criteria can give satisfactory prediction for the 959 experimental data of the void fraction with the mean relative error of 0.0766.
•17 drift-flux correlations and 959 void fraction experimental data are collected.•Evaluations of existing drift-flux correlations with experimental data are performed.•A new drift-flux correlation ...is developed and verified for vertical rod bundles.•Segmented drift velocities for 4 flow regimes are adopted in the new correlation.•Distribution parameter is expressed by a function of two phase Reynolds numbers.
This paper has reviewed 17 available drift-flux correlations and collected 959 existing void fraction experimental data for air-water and steam-water two-phase flows in the vertical rod bundle flow channels. The performances of these drift-flux correlations have been evaluated with the collected experimental data. The evaluations conclude that the recently-developed drift-flux correlation of Schlegel and Hibiki gives the best predictions, and the drift-flux correlations of Clark et al. and Ye et al. can provide reasonable predictions for the collected experimental data. However, these drift-flux correlation series of Clark et al., Ye et al. and Schlegel and Hibiki are found to have the following three shortcomings. (1) Their distribution parameter correlation has ignored the flow regime and bubble behavior effects due to the different combinations of the non-dimensional superficial gas and liquid velocities at the same non-dimensional mixture volumetric flux under the high non-dimensional mixture volumetric flux conditions. (2) Their distribution parameter correlation has used the non-dimensional superficial gas and liquid velocities which cannot effectively reflect the pressure effect on the distribution parameter. (3) Their drift velocity correlation has ignored the drift velocity difference due to the flow regime transitions and has used the bubbly flow drift velocity correlation for all flow regimes, including the cap-bubbly, churn and annular flows. In view of these shortcomings, the present drift-flux correlation development adopts the segmented drift velocity correlations considering the features of bubbly, cap-bubbly, churn and annular flows in vertical rod bundle flow channel. The analysis for the experimental data of the asymptotic distribution parameter has shown that the asymptotic distribution parameter depends on the gas-phase Reynolds number with a feature that it linearly increases with gas-phase Reynolds number in the low gas-phase Reynolds number region, peaks at a critical gas-phase Reynolds number and exponentially decreases in the high gas-phase Reynolds number region under a certain liquid-phase Reynolds number flow conditions. This phenomenon is found to be caused by the formation and breakup processes of large-cap bubbles and their resultant intensive secondary flows corresponding to the flow regime transitions in the vertical rod bundle flow channel. So, a new distribution parameter correlation has been developed based on the gas- and liquid-phase Reynolds numbers reflecting the ratio of each phase inertial force to viscous force for the two-phase flows in vertical rod bundle flow channel. The newly-developed drift-flux correlation has been checked against various experimental data of air-water and steam-water two-phase flows in the rod bundle flow channel and a good agreement has been reached.
•Dynamic mode decomposition is applied to exponential experiment for subcriticality measurement.•DMD can extract fundamental mode as well as some higher harmonics.•A method to correct bias caused by ...measurement uncertainty is proposed.•Using bootstrapping, many measurements can be simulated from a limited number of measured data.
When measuring the fundamental mode decay constant γ in an exponential experiment, it is difficult to extract the fundamental mode from a measured neutron flux distribution that is contaminated by many higher harmonics. Dynamic mode decomposition (DMD), which is intended for time-varying system analyses, is applied to the eigendecomposition of a three-dimensional flux distribution by viewing a series of two-dimensional flux profiles at horizontal planes as snapshots of a time-varying system. Through DMD, a fundamental mode can be extracted accurately from limited measured data that are largely contaminated by higher harmonics. The DMD yields a biased γ-eigenvalue if the statistical fluctuation of measured data is considered, and the bias is adjusted through a numerical simulation of an exponential experiment. Bootstrapping is employed for resampling the measured data from an exponential experiment. Ultimately, several measurements for an exponential experiment are closely simulated by bootstrap samples from a limited number of measurements.
•Identical 143Nd/144Nd ratios in manila clam shells from the same region.•Different shell 143Nd/144Nd values among 16 sites in Japan and China were displayed.•Blind test using 143Nd/144Nd unmasked ...mislabeling of manila clam in Japanese market.•143Nd/144Nd in shell can be use as robust tracer to discriminate location of origins.
Geographical traceability of marine bivalves is becoming increasingly important to assure their quality and to defend the interest of consumers and producers. This study verifies the neodymium isotopic ratio (143Nd/144Nd) in Ruditapes philippinarum shells as a tracer of the geographic origin, based on the geochemical aspect that 143Nd/144Nd of their habitats strongly depends on the geology of its catchment areas. The 143Nd/144Nd ratios of clam shells from the Japanese and Chinese coastal areas displayed a heterogeneous pattern from local to international scales, reflecting the geological age of the catchment area. The blind test suggested that a part of Manila clam was sold with mislabeling in the Japanese market, demonstrating the high potential of 143Nd/144Nd to unmask the fraud labeling in a food market. Our findings emphasize the potential of 143Nd/144Nd as a tracer for the geographical origin of marine bivalves, and also as a strong deterrent against mislabeling.
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