Contribution of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells to the Clearance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Skin Wounds

Chronic infections are considered one of the most severe problems in skin wounds, and bacteria are present in over 90% of chronic wounds. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is frequently isolated from chronic wounds and is thought to be a cause of delayed wound healing. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells, unique lymphocytes with a potent regulatory ability in various inflammatory responses, accelerate the wound healing process. In the present study, we investigated the contribution of iNKT cells in the host defense against P. aeruginosa inoculation at the wound sites. We analyzed the re-epithelialization, bacterial load, accumulation of leukocytes, and production of cytokines and antimicrobial peptides. In iNKT cell–deficient (Jα18KO) mice, re-epithelialization was significantly decreased, and the number of live colonies was significantly increased, when compared with those in wild-type (WT) mice on day 7. IL-17A, and IL-22 production was significantly lower in Jα18KO mice than in WT mice on day 5. Furthermore, the administration of α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), a specific activator of iNKT cells, led to enhanced host protection, as shown by reduced bacterial load, and to increased production of IL-22, IL-23, and S100A9 compared that of with WT mice. These results suggest that iNKT cells promote P. aeruginosa clearance during skin wound healing.     

Generation mechanism and prevention method of secondary molybdate phase during vitrification of PUREX wastes in liquid-fed ceramic melter

ABSTRACT

In order to develop a glass production method that inhibits formation of the Mo-bearing secondary phase, the so-called yellow phase (YP), and also to clarify its formation behavior, vitrification tests using a small-scale liquid-fed ceramic melter (LFCM) were conducted. Chemically simulated PUREX liquid waste containing Na, Mo and other fission elements was fed into a molten glass pool in the melter together with several sizes of feed glass. When the glass beads with a diameter of around 2 mm were fed, some YP was contained in the vitrified glass products at 25 wt% waste loading. While, almost no YP was detected in the glass products when glass powder with a diameter of less than 63 μm was used. The microscopic analysis of the cold-cap samples revealed that powderization of the feed glass contributed to the facilitation of Na dissolution to the feed glass in the cold-cap. This quick intake of Na to the feed glass prevented the formation of liquid Na₂MoO₄ aggregation and provided homogeneous Mo dispersion in the cold-cap with forms of alkali earth and/or rare earth molybdates. The homogeneous dispersion of Mo resulted in the fast and complete dissolution of Mo in the glass melt.     

Construction of Cellulose Binding Domain Fusion FMN-Dependent NADH-Azoreductase and Glucose 1-Dehydrogenase for the Development of Flow Injection Analysis with Fusion Enzymes Immobilized on Cellulose

The cellulose binding domain (CBD) of cellulosome-integrating protein A from Clostridium thermocellum NBRC 103400 was genetically fused to FMN-dependent NADH-azoreductase (AZR) and glucose 1-dehydrogenase (GDH) from Bacillus subtilis. The fusion enzymes, AZR-CBD and CBD-GDH, were expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta-gami B (DE3). The enzymes were purified from cell-free extracts, and the specific activity of AZR-CBD was 15.1 U/mg and that of CBD-GDH was 22.6 U/mg. AZR-CBD and CBD-GDH bound strongly to 0.5 % swollen cellulose at approximately 95 and 98 % of the initial protein amounts, respectively. After immobilization onto the swollen cellulose, AZR-CBD and CBD-GDH retained their catalytic activity. Both enzymes bound weakly to 0.5 % microcrystalline cellulose, but the addition of a high concentration of microcrystalline cellulose (10 %) improved the binding rate of both enzymes. A reactor for flow injection analysis was filled with microcrystalline cellulose-immobilized AZR-CBD and CBD-GDH. This flow injection analysis system was successfully applied for the determination of glucose, and a linear calibration curve was observed in the range of approximately 0.16–2.5 mM glucose, with a correlation coefficient, r, of 0.998.     

Integrated protocol for optimized link state routing and localization: OLSR-L

Localization protocol is important for estimating node positions in a wireless multi-hop network. Routing protocol is also important for controlling paths. In previous research, localization and routing protocols have been discussed and evaluated separately. In this paper, we propose an integrated protocol for optimized link state routing (OLSR) and OLSR based localization (ROULA). Our protocol enables simultaneous localization and routing. ROULA’s localization is performed using OLSR overhead such as hello packets and routing tables. The routing overheads and the processing procedures can be efficiently integrated. We demonstrate that the integrated protocol for ROULA and OLSR enables simultaneous localization and routing.     

Quantitative evaluation of reheat cracking susceptibility by in situ observation and measurement using laser confocal microscope*

In the post-weld heat treatment process, the reheat cracking which might occur in the weldments of low-alloy steels has been a serious problem. So, it is considered to be important to predict the possibility of occurrence of reheat cracking in these steels. It is however recognized as a time-consuming procedure to evaluate quantitatively the susceptibility to this type of cracking. In the present study, a new quantitative evaluation method of reheat cracking susceptibility by in situ observation and measurement using a laser confocal microscope has been proposed. Through this new method, the reheat cracking susceptibility of any kind of steels can be evaluated with the same standard. Moreover, because the position of the initial crack can be focused and the critical ductility to initiate the crack is measured by in situ observation, the reheat cracking susceptibility can be evaluated using only one specimen. So the newly developed method can provide efficient quantitative assessment of the reheat cracking sensitivity with high accuracy.     

Characterization and Sintering Behavior of Alkoxide-Derived Aluminosilicate Powders

Submicrometer SiO₂-Al₂O₃ powders with compositions of 46.5 to 76.6 wt% Al₂O₃ were prepared by hydrolysis of mixed alkoxides. Phase change, mullite composition, and particle size of powders with heating were analyzed by DTA, XRD, IR, BET, and TEM. As-produced amorphous powders partially transformed to mullite and Al-Si spinel at around 980°C. The compositions of mullite produced at 1400° and 1550°C were richer in Al₂O₃ than the compositions of stable mullite solid solutions predicted from the phase diagram of the SiO₂-Al₂O₃ system. Particle size decreased with increasing Al₂O₃ content. The sintered densities depended upon the amount of SiO₂-rich glassy phase formed during sintering and the green density expressed as a function of particle size.     

Surface properties of carbon micro-coils oxidized by a low concentration of oxygen gas

Vapor-grown carbon micro-coils were oxidized under a low O₂ flow-rate for introducing oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface. The surface characteristics were then examined. The O1s/C1s intensity ratios of the XPS spectra measured on the surface increased on using the oxidation treatment. The maximum O1s/C1s ratio of 11.4 at.% was obtained under the following conditions: (a) the flow-rate of the mixed gas of O₂+Ar (O₂/Ar=1/10) was 82.5 sccm; (b) the oxidation temperature was 600°C; and (c) the treatment time was 30 min. The maximum O1s/C1s ratio is about 3.5 times that of the source carbon coils. The specific surface area significantly increased due to the oxidation treatment and attained a maximum value of 1050 m² g⁻¹, which is about 10 times that of the source carbon coils. As the specific surface area increased, the surface morphology of the carbon coils became more complicated on a nanometer scale.     

Numerical Simulation of Deflecting Flow in a Symmetric Enlarged Channel

Numerical results of three-dimensional separated flow and heat transfer in a rectangular channel with a suddenexpansion are presented in this paper.Numerical simulations of Navier-Stokes and energy equations are carriedout using the finite difference method.The results of three-dimensional calculations are compared with thetwo-dimensional ones,and effects of the aspect ratio of channel upon the flow are shown.The transition fromsymmetric to asymmetric flow appears at lower Reynolds number as increasing the aspect ratio.The details oflocal heat transfer characteristics in two different separated flow regions on two downstream walls are clarified.Two-dimensionality of the flow and heat transfer almost disappears for the aspect ratio considered.