Modeling micro-particle deposition in human upper respiratory tract under steady inhalation

A representative human upper respiratory tract （URT） with idealized oral region and asymmetric tracheo- bronchial （TB） airway has been modeled, and laminar-to-turbulent airflow for typical inhalation modes as well as micro-particle transport and deposition has been simulated using CFX10.0 software from Ansys Inc. on a personal computer. The asymmetric TB airway could not be replaced by an extended straight tube as outlet of the oral region while investigating the tracheal airflow field and particle deposition. Compared to an idealized oral airway with an extended straight tube, several differences could be noted： （i） The laryngeal jet extends further down the trachea and inclines towards the anterior wall; （ii） the turbulence level in trachea is less and decays more quickly; （iii） three recirculation zones are visible with intense adverse current after the glottis; （iv） deposition of small particles in trachea is reduced due to lower turbulence. Refined unstructured mesh with densified boundary layer mesh could be a proper substitute for the structured mesh in the human URT model with asymmetric TB airway. Based on the refined unstructured mesh, the physiological structure of uvula in the soft palate is properly simulated in the present human URT model.

Deposition of non-spherical microparticles in the human upper respiratory tract

We investigated the deposition pattern of microparticles with different particle diameters, shape factors, and initial flow conditions in a realistic human upper respiratory tract model. We identified a close relationship between the deposition fraction and the particle shape factor. The deposition fraction of the particles decreased sharply with increasing particle shape factor because of the decreasing drag force. We also found that the deposition varied at different positions in the upper respiratory tract. At low shape factors, the highest fraction of particles deposited at the mouth and pharynx. However, with increasing shape factor, the deposition fraction in the trachea and lungs increased. Moreover, for a given shape factor, larger particles deposited at the mouth and pharynx, which indicates that the deposition fraction of microparticles in the human upper respiratory tract is affected first and foremost by particle inertia as well as by the drag force.

RNF126 Quenches RNF168 Function in the DNA Damage Response

DNA damage response(DDR) is essential for maintaining genome stability and protecting cells from tumorigenesis. Ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modi?cations play an important role in DDR, from signaling DNA damage to mediating DNA repair. In this report, we found that the E3 ligase ring ?nger protein 126(RNF126) was recruited to UV laser micro-irradiation-induced stripes in a RNF8-dependent manner. RNF126 directly interacted with and ubiquitinated another E3 ligase, RNF168. Overexpression of wild type RNF126, but not catalytically-inactive mutant RNF126(CC229/232 AA), diminished ubiquitination of H2 A histone family member X(H2AX),and subsequent bleomycin-induced focus formation of total ubiquitin FK2, TP53-binding protein1(53 BP1), and receptor-associated protein 80(RAP80). Interestingly, both RNF126 overexpression and RNF126 downregulation compromised homologous recombination(HR)-mediated repair of DNA double-strand breaks(DSBs). Taken together, our ?ndings demonstrate that RNF126 negatively regulates RNF168 function in DDR and its appropriate cellular expression levels are essential for HR-mediated DSB repair.

Numerical simulation of micro-particle deposition in a realistic human upper respiratory tract model during transient breathing cycle

An more reliable human upper respiratory tract model that consisted of an oropharynx and four generations of asymmetric tracheo-bronchial （TB） airways has been constructed to investigate the micro-particle deposition pattern and mass distribution in five lobes under steady inspiratory condition in former work by Huang and Zhang （2011 ）. In the present work, transient airflow patterns and particle deposition during both inspiratory and expiratory processes were numerically simulated in the realistic human upper respiratory tract model with 14 cartilaginous rings （CRs） in the tracheal tube. The present model was validated under steady inspiratory flow rates by comparing current results with the theoretical models and pub- lished experimental data. The transient deposition fraction was found to strongly depend on breathing flow rate and particle diameter but slightly on turbulence intensity. Particles were mainly distributed in the high axial speed zones and traveled basically following the secondary flow. ＂Hot spots＂ of deposition were found in the lower portion of mouth cavity and posterior wall of pharynx/larynx during inspiration, but transferred to upper portion of mouth and interior wall of pharynx/larynx during expiration. The deposition fraction in the trachea during expiration was found to be much higher than that during inspiration because of the stronger secondary flow.

Influence of the field humiture environment on the mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel repaired with Fe314

The mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel repaired with Fe314 under different temperatures and humidities without inert gas protection were studied. Results indicated favorable compatibility between Fe314 and 316L stainless steel. The average yield strength, tensile strength, and sectional contraction percentage were higher in repaired samples than in 316L stainless steel, whereas the elongation rate was slightly lower. The different conditions of humiture environment on the repair sample exerted minimal influence on tensile and yield strengths. The Fe314 cladding layer was mainly composed of equiaxed grains and mixed with randomly oriented columnar crystal and tiny pores or impurities in the tissue. Results indicated that the hardness value of Fe314 cladding layer under different humiture environments ranged within 419-451.1 HVo.2. The field humimre environment also showed minimal impact on the average hardness of Fe314 cladding layers. Furthermore, 316L stainless steel can be repaired through laser cladding by using Fe314 powder without inert gas protection under different temperatures and humidity environments.