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Membrane-less organelles, the liquid droplets formed via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biomolecules in cells, act to organize intracellular components into multiple compartments. As a model for this process, and as a potential vehicle for in vitro exploitation of its properties, we explore here a synthetic multiphase LLPS system consisting of a mixture of self-assembled DNA particles. The particles, termed "DNA nanostars" (NSs), consist of four double-stranded DNA arms that each terminate in a single-stranded overhang. NSs condense into droplets due to overhang hybridization. Using two types of NSs with orthogonal overhangs enables the creation of two types of immiscible DNA droplets. Adhesion between the droplets can be tuned by the addition of "cross-linker NSs" that have two overhang sequences of each type. We find that increasing the amount of the cross-linker NSs decreases the droplet/droplet surface tension until a microemulsion transition occurs. Controlled droplet adhesion can also be achieved, without cross-linkers, using overhangs that can weakly hybridize. Finally, we show that solutes can be specifically targeted to the DNA phases by labeling them with appropriate sticky-ends. Overall, our findings demonstrate the ability to create a multiphase LLPS system, and to control its mesoscale configuration, via sequence design of the component molecules.

We have investigated how a pair of oppositely charged macromolecules can be driven by an electric field to form a polyelectrolyte complex inside a nanopore. To observe and isolate an individual complex pair, a model protein nanopore, embedded in artificial phospholipid membrane, allowing compartmentalization (cis/trans) is employed. A polyanion in the cis and a polycation in the trans compartments are subjected to electrophoretic capture by the pore. We find that the measured ionic current across the pore has a distinguishable signature of complex formation, which is different from the signature of the passage of individual molecules through the pore. The ionic current signature allows us to detect the interaction between the two oppositely charged macromolecules and thus, enables us to measure the lifetime of the complex inside the nanopore. After showing that we can isolate a complex pair in the nanopore, we studied the effects of molecular identity on the nature of interaction in different complex pairs. In contrast to the irreversible conductance state of the alpha-hemolysin (αHL) channel in the complexation of poly-styrene-sulfonate (PSS) and poly-L-lysine (PLL), a reversible conductance state is observed during complexation between single stranded DNA (ssDNA) and PLL. This suggests that there is a weak interaction between ssDNA and PLL, when compared to the interaction in a PSS–PLL complex. Analysis of the PSS-PLL complexation events and its lifetime inside the nanopore supports a four step-mechanism: (i) The polyanion is captured by the pore, (ii) the polyanion starts threading through the pore. (iii) The polycation is captured, a complex pair is formed in the pore, and the polyanion slides along the polycation. (iv) The complex pair can be pulled through the pore into the trans compartment or it can dissociate. Additionally, we have developed a simple theoretical model, which describes the lifetime of the complex inside the pore. The observed reversible two-state conductance across αHL channel during ssDNA-PLL complexation, is described as the binding/unbinding of PLL during the translocation of ssDNA. This enables us to evaluate the apparent rate constants for association/dissociation and equilibrium dissociation constants for the interaction of PLL with ssDNA. This work throws light on the behavior of polyelectrolyte complexes in an electric field and enhances our understanding of the electrical aspects of inter-macromolecular interactions, which plays an extremely important role in the organization of macromolecules in the crowded and confined cellular environment.

(1) Purpose: In modern society, augmented reality (AR)-based training using a smart device has emerged as a means of resolving problems with training. Thus, this feasibility study aimed to identify the effects of tooth-brushing training, based on AR using a smart toothbrush, on oral hygiene care among people with an intellectual disability in Korea. (2) Methods: Thirty people with an intellectual disability, residing in a residential care facility, were selected. Tooth-brushing training based on AR, using a smart toothbrush, was applied in the experimental group (n = 15), and training using visual material was applied in the control group (n = 15). As an assessment of oral hygiene care, the changes in tooth-brushing performance and oral hygiene were measured. (3) Results: There were significant differences in all results after training between the two groups. (4) Conclusions: Tooth-brushing training based on AR using a smart toothbrush is more effective than training using visual material on oral hygiene care among the subjects of this feasibility study. Thus, training based on AR using a smart toothbrush could be applied to people with intellectual disabilities residing in residential care facilities as an individual tool for tooth-brushing training.

Aqueous multicomponent supramolecular systems hold great promise for designing synthetic biomaterials with tailored properties. Inspired by this notion, we explore the consequences of modulating the assembly behaviour of supramolecular polymers based on benzene-1,3,5-trixaboxamide (BTA) derivatives by the corresponding BTA-DNA conjugate. Our data demonstrate the divergence of the assembly mechanisms upon shifting from pure water to buffered solutions (pH=7) upon introducing the DNA conjugate. To follow the morphologic transitions, we developed a correlative spectroscopic-microscopic method suitable for the analyses of thermally controlled supramolecular copolymerization in aqueous systems. Using this approach, the structural origins of the cooperative transitions in water-soluble BTA systems were confirmed for the first time. Thus, at the macroscale, the elongation into micrometer-long supramolecular fibers occurs from globular aggregates, which exist at elevated temperatures. The acquired experimental data support the assumption expressed in the previous computational reports that nanoscale BTA ordering within the globules precedes the elongation phase. Furthermore, depending on the content of the DNA modulator, the globules derive two forms of supramolecular fibers, type I and type II, respectively. The latter type is stable within a short temperature window, transforming into the former one upon further cooling. Finally, the supramolecular copolymers were transformed in functional hydrogels via a DNA crosslinking strategy. Physical and mechanical properties of the hydrogels were assessed by microrheology.

Biomolecules can undergo liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), forming dense droplets that are increasingly understood to be important for cellular function. Analogous systems are studied as early-life compartmentalization mechanisms, for applications as protocells, or as drug-delivery vehicles. In many of these situations, interactions between the droplet and enzymatic solutes are important to achieve certain functions. To explore this, we carried out experiments in which a model LLPS system, formed from DNA “nanostar” particles, interacted with a DNA-cleaving restriction enzyme, SmaI, whose activity degraded the droplets, causing them to shrink with time. By controlling adhesion of the DNA droplet to a glass surface, we were able to carry out time-resolved imaging of this “active dissolution” process. We found that the scaling properties of droplet shrinking were sensitive to the proximity to the dissolution (“boiling”) temperature of the dense liquid: For systems far from the boiling point, enzymes acted only on the droplet surface, while systems poised near the boiling point permitted enzyme penetration. This was corroborated by the observation of enzyme-induced vacuole-formation (“bubbling”) events, which can only occur through enzyme internalization, and which occurred only in systems poised near the boiling point. Overall, our results demonstrate a mechanism through which the phase stability of a liquid affects its enzymatic degradation through modulation of enzyme transport properties.

Complex coacervation driven liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biopolymers has been attracting attention as a novel phase in living cells. Studies of LLPS in this context are typically of proteins harboring chemical and structural complexity, leaving unclear which properties are fundamental to complex coacervation versus protein-specific. This study focuses on the role of polyethylene glycol (PEG)—a widely used molecular crowder—in LLPS. Significantly, entropy-driven LLPS is recapitulated with charged polymers lacking hydrophobicity and sequence complexity, and its propensity dramatically enhanced by PEG. Experimental and field-theoretic simulation results are consistent with PEG driving LLPS by dehydration of polymers, and show that PEG exerts its effect without partitioning into the dense coacervate phase. It is then up to biology to impose additional variations of functional significance to the LLPS of biological systems. Liquid-liquid phase separation occurs in cells and can be induced in artificial systems, but the mechanism of the effect of molecular crowders is unclear. Here dehydration entropy-driven phase separation of model charged polymers lacking any chemical complexity or hydrophobicity is shown to be enhanced by polyethylene glycol.

This study aims to provide basic information about the social interaction changes in people with intellectual disabilities through the application of equine-assisted intervention (EAI) in Korea. The subjects were 12 people with intellectual disabilities residing in a residential care facility in Korea. EAI was applied and consisted of communal activities and horseback riding. The intervention was conducted for 60 minutes each session, two sessions a week for 12 weeks. To determine the psychological aspects of the social interaction changes after the study cohort participated in the EAI, their social interaction anxiety, social phobia, and social avoidance and distress were measured. Their social interaction anxiety was measured using the Korean-Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (K-SIAS), and their social phobia was measured using the Korean-Social Phobia Scale (K-SPS). To measure their social avoidance and distress, the Korean-Social Avoidance and Distress scale (K-SADS) was used. The social interaction anxiety, social phobia, and social avoidance and distress results showed a continuous decrease after the application of EAI. Thus, the application of EAI, including communal activities and horseback riding, should be considered for people with intellectual disabilities in order to decrease their social interaction anxieties, phobias, and social avoidance and distress.

Objectives: Population aging is a reality in most developed countries. In this era, an important health issue for these countries is promoting health and quality of life in the elderly population. Older adults’ social networks are associated with health and quality of life. Therefore, this study examines the association between the characteristics of social networks (friendship networks) and the subjective well-being of community-dwelling older adults. Methods: This study was conducted between June 2015 and August 2015 with a total of 146 participants. The size and density of social networks were analyzed using social network analysis. Additionally, to investigate the impact of social networks on health, a multiple linear regression analysis was performed using NetMiner 4.0. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: In terms of Model 1, which used social network characteristics as variables, the higher the out-degree (376.161) and in-closeness (201.825), the better the health. In contrast, the higher the in-degree (−279.167) and out-closeness (−52.620), the poorer the health. Regarding Model 2, which used sociodemographic characteristics as variables, the higher the out-degree (218.747) and in-closeness (170.075), the better the health. In addition, religion had a negative effect on health, and a high level of education had a positive effect on health. Conclusions: The findings suggest that higher out-degree and in-closeness intensity positively affect the health of older adults, but higher in-degree and out-closeness intensity negatively affect health. Therefore, health professionals should use appropriate strategies to increase the strength of social networks to improve the health of older adults living in the community.

Numerical simulations on the pulsatile flow in stenosed tubes were conducted to investigate the effect of trapezium shape of stenosis on the flow field around stenoses. Four trapezium shapes of stenoses were considered by varying contraction, plateau, and expansion parts of stenoses for different stenosis area reduction ratios. The Galerkin finite element method based on the P2P1 mixed element was employed to solve the axisymmetric incompressible Navier-Stokes equations and the continuity equation. The proposed numerical method was validated by solving a benchmark problem of stenotic flow. It was found that the average pressure profile along the centerline was more affected by the contraction shape than the expansion shape. It was also revealed that the average wall shear stress of mild contraction was greater than that of sudden contraction around the stenotic region. Furthermore, the pressure drop across the stenosis was found to be associated with the form drag experienced by the stenosis.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to provide basic information as reference and guidelines for the implementation of abdominal muscle exercise programs for people with intellectual disabilities residing in residential care facilities. [Subjects and Methods] The study period was 12 weeks, from July 1, 2015, to September 30, 2015. The study participants comprised of 10 people with intellectual disabilities who were residing in a residential care facility. An occupational therapist measured each subject's weight and physical fitness (muscle strength and flexibility). Collected data were encoded by using items and analyzed using SPSS ver.18.0. [Results] Weight decreased significantly, and physical fitness (muscle strength and flexibility) increased significantly. [Conclusion] To actively improve abdominal muscle strength and health management in people with intellectual disabilities residing in residential care facilities, consistent implementation of abdominal muscle exercise programs and improvements are indispensable, as these could lead to the development of systematic programs for rehabilitation physical activities.

Cells can spatially and temporally control biochemistry using liquid-liquid phase separation to form membrane-less organelles. Synthetic biomolecular liquids offer a means to study the mechanisms of this process, as well as offering a route to the creation of functional biomimetic materials. With these goals in mind, we here examine the partitioning of long double-stranded DNA linkers into a liquid composed of small DNA particles ("nanostars") whose phase separation is driven by base pairing. We find that linker partitioning is length-dependent because of a confinement penalty of inserting long strands within the liquid's characteristic mesh size. We quantify this entropic-confinement effect using a simple partitioning theory and show that its magnitude is consistent with classic Odijk pictures of confined worm-like chains. Linker partitioning can also lead to inhomogeneous structures: long linkers excluded from the liquid interior tend to preferentially accumulate on the surface of liquid droplets (i.e., acting as surfactants), while linkers forced at high concentrations into the liquid undergo a secondary phase separation, forming metastable droplet-in-droplet structures. Altogether, our work demonstrates the ability to rationally engineer the composition and structure of a model biomolecular liquid.

The problem with Fluid structure interaction (FSI) can be simulated by monolithic (fluid and structured equations are solved in a single monolithic matrix) or partitioned approach (fluid and solid equations are sequentially solved, and coupling is achieved subsequently through iteration). This paper presents a comparative study between monolithic (in-house) and partitioned (ANSYS) methods for 3D FSI problems. Pressure wave propagation in a flexible tube and a pulsatile flow interacting with a mild stenotic vessel are used in this study. The present numerical experiment reveals that the monolithic approach produced better convergence behavior and consumed lower CPU time than the partitioned method for the selected 3D FSI problems. Furthermore, the partitioned method had a severe convergence problem during strong interaction of fluid and structure.

The electrostatic origins behind the speed of translocation of a uniformly charged flexible macromolecule through α-hemolysin (αHL) protein pores under a voltage are investigated using variations in pH and electrolyte concentration. We have measured durations of successful threading of poly(styrenesulfonate) through αHL at two different pH conditions, pH 4.5 and pH 7.5, under various salt concentration conditions. Salt concentrations in the donor (cis) and the recipient (trans) compartments influence the polymer translocation dynamics differently, depending on pH. At both pH 4.5 and pH 7.5, decreasing the cis salt concentration, cs,cis, results in faster polymer translocations. On the other hand, a decrease in trans salt concentration, cs,trans, retards the polymer transport process at pH 4.5, while at pH 7.5 the translocation time is observed to be independent of cs,trans. We present a theoretical model to calculate the translocation times from the free energy of the polymer along the translocation process to describe our experimental results. We show that the charge density of the polymer inside the nanopore is significantly affected by cs,cis, explaining the cis salt effect on the speed of polymer translocation. The trans salt effects are attributed to the electrostatic interaction between the polymer and the exit portion of the αHL pore, which is determined by the pH of the trans compartment. At low pH where the net charge of the end of the αHL is positive, the attractive electrostatic interaction in trans becomes stronger, as cs,trans decreases, resulting in delays in translocation process.

This paper numerically examines, straight and twisted electrical heat trace installations for their anti-freezing effects on water inside a pipe. The unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations coupled with an energy equation were solved to compare the two installation methods. The heat conduction of the pipe with a heat source interacts with the natural convection of the water, and the conjugate heat transfer was considered using a commercial code (ANSYS-FLUENT) based on a SIMPLE-type algorithm. Numerical experiments, were done to investigate the isotherms and the vector fields in the water region to extract the evolutions of the minimum and maximum temperatures of the water inside the pipe. There was no substantial difference in the anti-freezing effects between the straight and twisted. Therefore, the straight installation is recommended after considering the damage and short circuit behavior of the electrical heat trace.

Date Presented 03/26/20 The area of OT has been extended to preventive approaches from rehab. With regard to the increasing aging population, health professionals are trying to find effective approaches to maintaining and enhancing the health of healthy older adults. Although the concept of OB has a potential for preventive intervention, little is known about the scientific relationship between OB and health-related variables in older adults. Primary Author and Speaker: Sangmi Park Contributing Authors: Ji-Hyuk Park, Hae Jong Lee, Byoung-Jin Jeon, Eun Young Yoo, Jong Bae Kim

Liquid-liquid phase separation of a polymer-rich phase from a polymer-dilute solution, known generally as coacervation, has been observed in a variety of biomolecular systems. Understanding of this process, and the properties of the resulting liquid, has been hampered in typical systems by the complexity of the components and of the intermolecular interactions. Here, we examine a single-component system comprised entirely of DNA, in which tetravalent DNA nanostar particles condense into liquids through attractive bonds formed from basepairing interactions. We measure the density, viscosity, particle self-diffusion, and surface tension of NS-liquid droplets. The sequence- and salt-dependent thermodynamics of basepairing accounts for most properties, particularly indicating that particle transport is an activated process whose barrier is the breaking of a single bond, and that very few bonds are broken at the surface. However, more complex effects are also seen. The relation of density to salt shows that electrostatic screening compacts the NS particles. Further, the interrelation of the transport properties indicates a breakdown of the Stokes-Einstein relation. This observation, in concert with the low surface tension and single-bond transport barrier, suggests this DNA liquid has a heterogeneous, clustered structure that is likely enabled by internal NS particle flexibility. We discuss these results in comparison to other coacervate systems.

The purpose of this study was to confirm the critical importance of active obesity management through a fitness program, and to provide foundational data required for effective obesity management of disabled persons residing in residential carse facilities. [Subjects and Methods] The study period lasted 16 weeks, from August 1 to November 30, 2014. The study participants comprised 9 individuals and they participated in a walking exercise program. An occupational therapist assessed each participant's body weight, body composition (body mass index [BMI], body fat, and abdominal fat), basic fitness (muscle strength and flexibility), and waist circumference. Collected data were encoded by items and analyzed with SPSS ver.18.0. [Results] It was found that the body weight, body composition (BMI, body fat, and abdominal fat), and waist circumference decreased significantly, while baseline fitness (muscle strength and flexibility) improved significantly. [Conclusion] Obesity management is critically important for intellectually disabled persons residing in residential care facilities. Active care through continuous program implementation is needed. Accordingly, walking exercise programs should be offered to obese intellectually disabled persons residing in residential care facilities.

In this paper, the contrast therapy of skin was numerically investigated by solving the conjugate heat transfer problem. A finite volume method based on the SIMPLE algorithm was adopted to solve the axisymmetric incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, coupled with an energy equation. These equations are strongly coupled with the Pennes bio-heat equation in order to consider the effect of blood perfusion rate. We investigated the thermal response of skin at some selected depths for various input temperature profiles of a stimulator for contrast therapy. From the numerical simulations, the regions with cold/hot threshold temperatures were found for five input temperature profiles. It was shown that the temperature varies mildly for different input profiles as the depth increases, owing to the Pennes effect. The input temperatures for effective hot/cold stimulation of dermis layer were found to be and , respectively. The present numerical results will be used for finding an optimal temperature profile of a stimulator for contrast therapy.

The effect of natural convection on the temperature distribution of skin was numerically investigated by solving the conjugate heat transfer of the skin under contrast therapy, where hot and cold stimulations are periodically induced on the skin. A finite volume method based on the SIMPLE algorithm was adopted to solve the axisymmetric incompressible Navier–Stokes equations coupled with an energy equation. Those equations were strongly coupled with the Pennes bio-heat equation of skin for the analysis of the conjugate heat transfer. The amplitudes of the sinusoidal temperature profiles of the skin at selected depths were found to become smaller when natural convection was considered, and the temperature evolution obtained by analyzing the conjugate heat transfer differed from that obtained with constant heat transfer coefficients or with a conduction effect only, especially when blood perfusion was included. The spatially-averaged heat transfer coefficient predicted from the present simulation of conjugate heat transfer of contrast therapy was also confirmed to be close to the typical values employed in previous numerical studies. More importantly, the present conjugate heat transfer simulation for contrast therapy revealed that the heat transfer coefficient on skin varies both spatially and temporally. Therefore, the conjugate heat transfer analysis, in which the heat transfer coefficient is calculated as a function of time and space, must be employed in order to accurately predict the temperature evolution inside the skin when subjected to contrast therapy.

Blood flows with stenosis may cause turbulence. In such a case, vessels may be damaged by the turbulent flow because the velocity gradient of turbulent flow is large near the wall. It is very important to predict turbulence accurately. Generally, the shape of the stenotic vessel is quite complicated. Finite element method (FEM) is adopted because it is able to easily handle the stenotic vessel with unstructured meshes. Also, based on FEM, large eddy simulation (LES) is implemented to accurately solve turbulent flows in a vessel. To verify the accuracy of the LES technique developed, it is applied to the turbulent flow in an eccentric stenosis flow considered by Varghese et al. [1]. The simulation results showed that laminar flow occurs at the inlet region, whereas turbulence flow occurs after stenosis region. The present results show a reasonably good agreement with the DNS results of Varghese et al. [1].

The current meta-analysis reviewed evidence for effective task-oriented training focused on repetitive or circuit training after stroke.Searches were conducted of randomized, controlled trials using task-oriented training. The quality of each study was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Eleven studies were analyzed regarding the magnitude of effect sizes (ESs) and categorized according to extremities focused upon for training, outcome measures, and study variables. This included duration and frequency of training and stroke stage.The PEDro scores ranged from 4 to 8 (median = 7). The overall ES of the 11 studies was large. The effects for lower extremities and both acute/sub-acute and chronic stage stroke were large and significant. Significant effects were also found for gait velocity, gait endurance, balance, timed up and go test, and strength of the lower extremities. There was no significant effect of training focused on upper extremities. Training with a duration of 2 weeks and frequency of 7 days a week had the greatest effects.Task-oriented training interventions are useful for improving muscle strength and gait related activities in both acute/sub-acute and chronic stroke patients. Although this meta-analysis provides evidence of task-oriented training for improving functioning after stroke, further studies are necessary to investigate the effects of training on upper extremities and the overall cost-effectiveness of such training.

Purpose: This study was to investigate color distortion by colors and luminous transmittance of lenses with word-color test included in computerized neurocognitive function test (CNT). Methods: 32 subjects aged years with no ocular disease and color vision deficiency were selected. Four colors of tinted lenses, which were red, green and blue included in the primary colors of light and pink, and word-color test in CNT to evaluate changes in cognitive function by color distortion were used. Results: Response time was not significantly increased in green, blue, and pink among four colors, but significantly increased in only red color. And response time was significantly increased below 46% of luminous transmittance in red color. Conclusions: It should be cautious and careful of the red-tinted lens choice because red color with below 46% of luminous transmittance can distort colors of objects, and it could be related to safety problem. It is suggested that word-color test could be extensively used for further studies on color recognition.

We introduce a single molecular analysis technique for the evaluation of molecular weight distributions of polyelectrolyte solutions by measuring translocation times of sodium polystyrenesulfonate (NaPSS) chains in a mixture passing through an α-hemolysin protein nanopore. The ionic current through an α-hemolysin nanopore is partially blocked transiently when the pore is occupied by a polymer chain with an average residence time proportional to the molecular weight of the polymer chain. We have measured the translocation times for an equimolar mixture of four different molecular weight NaPSS standards and observed distinct translocation time distribution peaks, each of which corresponding to the different components in the mixture. Size exclusion chromatography analyses were performed on the equimolar and equiweight NaPSS mixtures of the same components and compared with the translocation time measurements. The experimental results demonstrate that measuring translocation times can be a competitive technique for estimating the broad molecular weight distributions of polyelectrolytes.

Objective/Background To compare the effects of simple and task-oriented mirror therapies on upper extremity function in stroke patients with hemiplegia. Methods A single-subject, reversal (applied behaviour analysis) research design was used, and the study included four patients and two treatments. Treatment 1 involved simple mirror therapy that was performed using simple upper limb movements. Treatment 2 involved task-oriented mirror therapy that required each patient to perform functional movements associated with the tasks of daily living. Changes in upper extremity function were assessed during 23 sessions using box and block test, cube carry, and card turning tests. The Fugl-Meyer Assessment of upper extremity function was also performed. Results The upper extremity function of all patients increased after mirror therapy. However, the improved upper extremity function of the patients undergoing simple mirror therapy was not maintained after the conclusion of the therapy. By contrast, the improved upper extremity function of the patients receiving task-oriented mirror therapy continued to improve, even after therapy cessation. Conclusion Task-oriented mirror therapy in stroke patients provided more effective improvement in the upper extremity function of the hemiplegic stroke victims.

In the present study, we demonstrated a parallel P2P1 finite element scheme with a four-step fractional splitting approach to conduct a multiscale coronary flow simulation. The three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for patient-specific coronary artery flow and zero-dimensional (0D) lumped-parameter network (LPN) modeling for distal coronary beds was fully coupled, and an MPI parallel algorithm based on domain decomposition was applied. A parallel conjugate gradient (CG)-LPN subroutine for the 3D-0D coupled system with a monolithic scheme was derived, and it provides a correct pressure solution that may not be obtained by the conventional CG solver, particularly when the subdomain division intersects the 3D-0D coupling outlet. The overall computing time for parallel CG-LPN does not show a noticeable difference from the conventional CG solver, despite the extra MPI calls for data transfer at the interfaces of subdomains. For the BiCGSTAB solver, the block ILU(0) preconditioner showed favorable performance for a high density mesh compared with the simple Jacobi preconditioner. MPI_COMM is a major bottleneck that saturates the overall parallel performance at high core count, but a computing time of less than 10 min per cardiac cycle on a medium density mesh could be attained for a patient-specific coronary flow simulation using 60 CPU cores run in parallel, which is in an acceptable range for clinical practice. Further tests of accuracy are needed with a large set of patients to enable wide use of the proposed technique in helping to make interventional decisions in routine clinical practice for coronary stenotic lesions.

A parallelization of the bi-conjugate gradient solver for the pressure equation of the CUPID (component unstructured program for interfacial dynamics) code, which was developed for analyzing the components of a pressurized water-cooled reactor, was studied in a symmetric multi-processing system. The parallel performance was investigated for three typical parallel programming models (MPI, OpenMP, Hybrid) by solving incompressible backward-facing step flow at various grid resolutions. It was confirmed that parallel performance was low when problem size was small or the memory requirement for each thread was considerably higher than the cache memory. Furthermore, it was shown that MPI was better than OpenMP regardless of the problem size, and Hybrid was the best when the number of threads was relatively small.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to identify the effects of obesity on falls as a practical verification of the importance of obesity-targeting interventions as part of future fall prevention programs. [Subjects and Methods] The study involved 351 elderly people (172 men, 179 women) living in rural areas. The dependent variable, fall efficacy, was measured using the Falls Efficacy Scale, while the independent variables, body mass index (BMI) and visceral fat, were measured using the InBody 720. The Faces Pain Scale was used to measure pain. Mobility was measured using the Timed Up and Go Test, and balance ability was measured according to the duration subjects could stand on one foot with their eyes closed. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed for the final data analysis. [Results] Investigation of the correlations between the variables revealed a negative correlation between fall efficacy and the other variables. Ultimatley, investigation of the causality of fall efficacy revealed that the BMI, pain, and mobility were influential factors. In other words, fall efficacy tends to be lower when there are higher degrees of obesity, increased pain, and decreased mobility. [Conclusion] To improve the fall efficacy of elderly people living in rural areas, pain management and the maintenance of physical functionality are required. The present study confirms that the elderly need continuous obesity management to lead healthy lives.

Conjugate heat transfer around a circular cylinder with heat source was numerically investigated. Both the forced convection of water and conduction of carbon-steel were involved in the present simulation. A finite element formulation based on SIMPLE type algorithm was adopted for solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations coupled with energy equation. A conduction heat transfer problem inside the cylinder was trivially coupled with forced convection around the cylinder by using the Galerkin formulation of energy equation. The proposed algorithm was verified by solving the benchmark problem of conjugate heat transfer inside a cavity having a centered body. The effect of the Reynolds number on the temperature distribution on the cylinder surface and the maximum temperature inside the cylinder was examined. It was shown that the maximum temperature decreased as Reynolds number increased and that the position of the maximum temperature moved from the center to the rear part of the cylinder till Re = 20 and then moved back toward the center beyond Re = 20 since the reverse flow around the rear part of the cylinder became stronger as the Reynolds number further increased. Lastly, the maximum temperature of the cylinder with rotation was higher than that of the fixed one and the position of the maximum temperature inside the cylinder depended on the position and the strength of the dead zone.

An immunoassay based on stick-type solid support (immunostick assay) was developed. To demonstrate the medical diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cyclic-citrullinated peptide (CCP), one of specific antigens against RA autoantibodies, was immobilized on the surface of the immunostick, and a color index table was prepared for the determination of CCP-positivity of the test sera. The positivity of RA-positive (n = 31) and RA-negative (n = 20) sera was tested using the immunostick assay and a conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The statistical agreement of the test results from both methods was analyzed using inter-rater coefficient kappa and Bland-Altman test. The immunostick assay with a color index table was determined to have a high statistical correlation to the conventional ELISA method.

A fluorescence immunoassay for rheumatoid arthritis was presented by immobilizing a short peptide cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) through parylene-H film. The parylene-H film is a polymer of pxylene modified with formyl groups which can react with primary amine groups of proteins or peptides. In this work, the covalent coupling of the peptide can be produced by only one step of incubation without additional coupling reagent, and the immobilization efficiency to the parylene-H film was compared with the immobilization of CCP through conventional physical adsorption. The applicability of this immobilization method for short peptides is demonstrated by detecting autoantibodies in rheumatoid arthritis patient serum.

In this paper, the unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equation coupled with energy equation was solved in order to investigate the thermal stimulation of continuous moxibustion using a commercial code (ANSYS-Fluent). In the simulations, various periods were selected for the continuous moxibustion, which was done by burning multiple disks successively. It has been found that the depth of the effective stimulation zone increases only when the replacing temperature is equal or larger than body temperature whereas the increase rate of the effective stimulation depth decreases as the number of disc increases. Further, it has been shown that the optimal period, for which the duration time of the effective stimulation zone is maximum, exists.

The surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors have been used to detect various target analytes by using highly specific antigen–antibody interactions. In this work, a parylene film modified to have primary amine groups was applied as a linker layer of the SPR biosensor, and the primary amine groups were used for the covalent immobilization of proteins to the SPR biosensor. The feasibility of the parylene film as a linker layer was presented by estimating the influence of the parylene film on the SPR measurement parameters, such as the sensitivity and the detection range. Then, a model protein called horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used to demonstrate the improved immobilization efficiency as well as the sensitivity of the SPR biosensor with the parylene-A film. Additionally, a reconstruction method of the immunoaffinity layer was presented by using oxygen plasma.

A conjugate heat-transfer problem in indirect moxibustion was analyzed by solving the problem of unsteady convective heat transfer coupled with conductive heat transfer. The interaction of a combustion-heated paper disk of moxa with the body and surrounding fluid was revealed by examining the body’s unsteady temperature distributions. From the grid- and time step-independent solutions to the present conjugate heat-transfer problem, the effective stimulation periods for four widths of paper disk, along with the depths of the effective stimulation zones, were obtained. Further, it was found that the effective stimulation zone becomes larger and lasts longer for the wider paper disks, whereas the depth of the effective stimulation zone is saturated beyond a certain size. Lastly, the streamline pattern and the history of the spatially averaged heat-transfer coefficient, which is related to the convective heat transfer between the body and the surrounding fluid, were determined.