The influence of syringe geometry on the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative flow test

Recently published International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework provides a new global guideline on texture modification and standardisation for dysphagia patients. The IDDSI flow test determines the usage of the 10-mL syringe with a fixed length from the zero to the 10-mL line engraved on the barrel. The objective of this work was to investigate the influences of the other syringe geometries on the IDDSI test. Three syringes of different geometries were used for the test. Results from the IDDSI test (i.e. the amount of residue in the syringe after the gravitational flow for 10 s) depended on the syringe geometries. The actual amount of residue in the syringe can be predicted by calculation using the Hagen–Poiseuille equation. Most importantly, results from the simulation of the residue with changing the syringe geometries demonstrated that the nozzle inner diameter is the most important factor on the IDDSI flow test.     

Recombinant γY278H Fibrinogen Showed Normal Secretion from CHO Cells,but a Corresponding Heterozygous Patient Showed Hypofibrinogenemia

We identified a novel heterozygous hypofibrinogenemia, γY278H (Hiroshima). To demonstrate the cause of reduced plasma fibrinogen levels (functional level: 1.12 g/L and antigenic level: 1.16 g/L), we established γY278H fibrinogen-producing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated that synthesis of γY278H fibrinogen inside CHO cells and secretion into the culture media were not reduced. Then, we established an additional five variant fibrinogen-producing CHO cell lines (γL276P, γT277P, γT277R, γA279D, and γY280C) and conducted further investigations. We have already established 33 γ-module variant fibrinogen-producing CHO cell lines, including 6 cell lines in this study, but only the γY278H and γT277R cell lines showed disagreement, namely, recombinant fibrinogen production was not reduced but the patients’ plasma fibrinogen level was reduced. Finally, we performed fibrinogen degradation assays and demonstrated that the γY278H and γT277R fibrinogens were easily cleaved by plasmin whereas their polymerization in the presence of Ca²⁺ and “D:D” interaction was normal. In conclusion, our investigation suggested that patient γY278H showed hypofibrinogenemia because γY278H fibrinogen was secreted normally from the patient’s hepatocytes but then underwent accelerated degradation by plasmin in the circulation.     

Humidity control effect of vapor-permeable walls employing hygroscopic insulation material

Airtight construction and high-performance thermal insulation materials are commonly considered important building features to enhance indoor thermal comfort while reducing thermal load. However, when water vapor is generated in such airtight indoor spaces, it cannot be discharged to the outside, causing interstitial condensation and subsequent intrusion of moisture into the walls. Hygroscopic building materials such as cellulose fiber insulation (CFI), characterized by high water capacity, are a potential countermeasure against such condensation. In this study, the humidity control performance of external walls containing CFI was evaluated using data measured inside a demonstration house and calculated by numerical simulations based on thermodynamic chemical potential theory. The changes in moisture adsorption and desorption were then evaluated for different wall constructions and different climate conditions using a parameter sensitivity analysis. Finally, the effective application of CFI to prevent interstitial condensation was confirmed by comparing different wall compositions.     

Biosynthetic Machinery of 6-Hydroxymellein Derivatives Leading to Cyclohelminthols and Palmaenones

Oxygenated cyclopentene systems are unique structural motifs found in fungal polyketides such as terrein, cyclohelminthols, and palmaenones. Here we report the identification of the biosynthetic gene clusters for cyclohelminthols and palmaenones and the functional characterization of the polyketide synthases and halogenases involved in the construction of 6-hydroxymellein derivatives. Heterologous expression in Aspergillus oryzae demonstrated that 6-hydroxymellein is a common biosynthetic intermediate and that chlorination occurs in the early stages of its products’ biosynthesis. This was further confirmed by in vitro enzymatic reactions conducted in the presence of recombinant proteins. Plausible means of biogenesis of fungal polyketides from 6-hydroxymellein derivatives, additionally supported by the reported labeling patterns of terrein and structurally related fungal polyketides, are also discussed. This study sets the stage for elucidation of the biosynthetic machinery of fungal polyketides of this type.     

Combustion synthesis of α-Si3N4 assisted by molten salt additives

Combustion synthesis (CS) of silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), assisted by molten salt additives under high N₂ pressure, is reported. The effect of salt additives (NaCl, MgCl₂, and MgCl₂?6H₂O) on the reaction temperature and the final α-Si₃N₄ content is studied. The maximum reaction temperature (T_max) decreased with an increase in the amount of the salt additives. NaCl is found to be the most suitable as it results in 57.8% α-Si₃N₄ at 30 mass% concentration. MgCl₂ is strongly hygroscopic, and MgCl₂?6H₂O decomposes at very low temperature. Therefore, they absorb heat at low temperatures, which makes it difficult to reach the ignition temperature, thereby hindering the reaction propagation. Si₃N₄ is necessary as a diluent for creating pores in the raw materials to allow effective penetration and contact of N₂ gas with the Si particles.     

A thread-level parallelization of pairwise additive potential and force calculations suitable for current many-core architectures

In molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, calculations of potentials and their derivatives by coordinate, i.e., forces, in a pairwise additive manner such as the Lennard–Jones interactions and a short-range part of the Coulombic interactions form the main part of arithmetic operations. It is essential to achieve high thread-level parallelization efficiency of these pairwise additive calculations of potentials and forces to use current supercomputers with many-core architectures effectively. In this paper, we propose four new thread-level parallelization algorithms for the pairwise additive potential and force calculations. We implement the four codes in a MD calculation code based on the fast multipole method. Performance benchmarks were taken on the FX100 supercomputer and Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor. The code succeeds in achieving high thread-level parallelization efficiency with 32 threads on the FX100 and up to 60 threads on the Xeon Phi.