State-specific boundary conditions for nonequilibrium gas flows in slip regime.

Boundary conditions for fluid-dynamic variables of strongly nonequilibrium multicomponent gas mixture flows in slip regime are derived systematically by two different approaches. The flow is described in the framework of the state-to-state model for coupled detailed vibrational and chemical kinetics. The specular-diffusive model is applied for particles interaction with the solid wall, and the surface is assumed to be partially catalytic with possible state-specific chemical reactions and vibrational energy transitions described by a simple model based on the analogy with recombination coefficients.

Notch signaling defects in NK cells in patients with cancer.

Altered expressions of proto-oncogenes have been reported during normal lymphocytes mitogenesis and in T and B lymphocytes in patients with autoimmune diseases. We have recently demonstrated a significantly decreased expression of c-kit and c-Myc in NK cells isolated from patients with cancer, which might be related to the functional deficiency of NK cells in the tumor environment. Here, focusing on the regulatory mechanisms of this new clinical phenomenon, we determined expression of c-Myc, Notch1, Notch2, p-53, Cdk6, Rb and phosphorylated Rb in NK cells isolated from the healthy donors and cancer patients.

State-Resolved Dissociation and Exchange Reactions in CO Flows.

State-resolved chemical reactions in CO are studied by taking into account excitation of all vibrational modes and preferential reaction mechanisms. The effect of several parameters on the reaction rate coefficients is discussed; it is shown that the nonequilibrium factor in the expression for the rate coefficients of exchange reactions is much less sensitive to the number of accounted vibrational states and model parameters than that of dissociation. On the other hand, the choice of thermal equilibrium Arrhenius law parameters is crucial for the correct prediction of rate coefficients for both reactions.

Abnormal Expression of c-Myc Oncogene in NK Cells in Patients with Cancer.

Natural killer (NK) cells have received a lot of attention in recent years for the roles they play in immunity and particularly in antitumor immune responses. Although defects in NK cell functions are recognized as important mechanisms for immune evasion of malignant cells, molecular pathways regulating NK cell dysfunction and exhaustion in cancer are largely unknown. Here we tested whether the c-myc proto-oncogene, known to promote cell proliferation, growth, differentiation, and apoptosis by regulating the expression of numerous target genes, may be involved in the mechanism of NK cell abnormalities in patients with lung and gastric cancer.