2,393 research outputs found
A triangulation-invariant method for anisotropic geodesic map computation on surface meshes
pre-printThis paper addresses the problem of computing the geodesic distance map from a given set of source vertices to all other vertices on a surface mesh using an anisotropic distance metric. Formulating this problem as an equivalent control theoretic problem with Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman partial differential equations, we present a framework for computing an anisotropic geodesic map using a curvature-based speed function. An ordered upwind method (OUM)-based solver for these equations is available for unstructured planar meshes. We adopt this OUM-based solver for surface meshes and present a triangulation-invariant method for the solver. Our basic idea is to explore proximity among the vertices on a surface while locally following the characteristic direction at each vertex. We also propose two speed functions based on classical curvature tensors and show that the resulting anisotropic geodesic maps reflect surface geometry well through several experiments, including isocontour generation, offset curve computation, medial axis extraction, and ridge/valley curve extraction. Our approach facilitates surface analysis and processing by defining speed functions in an application-dependent manner
Proteome-Level Responses of Escherichia coli to Long-Chain Fatty Acids and Use of Fatty Acid Inducible Promoter in Protein Production
In Escherichia coli, a
long-chain acyl-CoA is a regulatory
signal that modulates gene expression
through its binding to a transcription
factor FadR. In this study,
comparative proteomic analysis of
E. coli in the presence
of glucose and oleic acid was
performed to understand cell
physiology in response to oleic acid.
Among total of 52 proteins showing
altered expression levels with oleic
acid presence, 9 proteins including
AldA, Cdd, FadA, FadB, FadL, MalE,
RbsB, Udp, and YccU were newly
synthesized. Among the genes that were
induced by oleic acid, the promoter of
the aldA gene was used
for the production of a green
fluorescent protein (GFP). Analysis of
fluorescence intensities and confocal
microscopic images revealed that
soluble GFP was highly expressed under
the control of the aldA
promoter. These results suggest that
proteomics is playing an important
role not only in biological research
but also in various biotechnological
applications
FLUIDIZATION TECHNOLOGY FOR STABLE STARTUP OF COMMERCIAL FCC UNIT
Conditions for maintaining good fluidization in the start-up of FCC have been determined. Catalyst defluidization and consequent catalyst losses from reactor cyclone are mainly affected by catalyst properties and stripper operating condition based on previous commercial startup experiences. Effect of fine catalyst contents on bed fluidity was determined. Bed fluidity in stripper was analyzed with slip velocity. Finally new startup guide was proposed and it was successfully applied to commercial FCC process of SK energy, Korea
Identification of a novel human Rad51 variant that promotes DNA strand exchange
Rad51 plays a key role in the repair of DNA double-strand breaks through homologous recombination, which is the central process in the maintenance of genomic integrity. Five paralogs of the human Rad51 gene (hRad51) have been identified to date, including hRad51B, hRad51C, hRad51D, Xrcc2 and Xrcc3. In searches of additional hRad51 paralogs, we identified a novel hRad51 variant that lacked the sequence corresponding to exon 9 (hRad51-Īex9). The expected amino acid sequence of hRad51-Īex9 showed a frame-shift at codon 259, which resulted in a truncated C-terminus. RT-PCR analysis revealed that both hRad51 and hRad51-Īex9 were prominently expressed in the testis, but that there were subtle differences in tissue specificity. The hRad51-Īex9 protein was detected as a 31-kDa protein in the testis and localized at the nucleus. In addition, the hRad51-Īex9 protein showed a DNA-strand exchange activity comparable to that of hRad51. Taken together, these results indicate that hRad51-Īex9 promotes homologous pairing and DNA strand exchange in the nucleus, suggesting that alternative pathways in hRad51- or hRad51-Īex9-dependent manners exist for DNA recombination and repair
Short-Term Effects of Combined Serial Casting and Botulinum Toxin Injection for Spastic Equinus in Ambulatory Children with Cerebral Palsy
PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to test the hypothesis that combination therapy of serial cast and botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection can further enhance the effects of a BTX-A injection in ambulant children with cerebral palsy (CP) who have an equinus foot.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children in group A (30 legs of 21 children) received a serial casting application after an injection of BTX-A, and children in group B (25 legs of 17 children) received only a BTX-A injection. Assessments were performed before the intervention and 1 month after the intervention.
RESULTS: After the intervention, there were significant improvements in tone, dynamic spasticity, and passive range of motion (ROM) in both groups. However, the changes were greater in group A than in group B. Dimension D (standing) in Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM)-66 was significantly improved in group A but not in group B. On the other hand, there were no significant changes in dimension E (walking, running, jumping) in GMFM-66 in either group.
CONCLUSION: The results of our study suggest that a serial casting application after BTX-A injection can enhance the benefits of BTX-A injection in children with cerebral palsy.ope
Computed Tomographic Image Analysis Based on FEM Performance Comparison of Segmentation on Knee Joint Reconstruction
The demand for an accurate and accessible image segmentation to generate 3D models from CT scan data has been increasing as such models are required in many areas of orthopedics. In this paper, to find the optimal image segmentation to create a 3D model of the knee CT data, we compared and validated segmentation algorithms based on both objective comparisons and finite element (FE) analysis. For comparison purposes, we used 1 model reconstructed in accordance with the instructions of a clinical professional and 3 models reconstructed using image processing algorithms (Sobel operator, Laplacian of Gaussian operator, and Canny edge detection). Comparison was performed by inspecting intermodel morphological deviations with the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm, and FE analysis was performed to examine the effects of the segmentation algorithm on the results of the knee joint movement analysis
Controlling Ferromagnetic Easy Axis in a Layered MoS2 Single Crystal
We report the effective methods to induce weak ferromagnetism in pristine MoS2 persisting up to room temperature with the improved transport property, which would lead to new spintronics devices. The hydrogenation of MoS2 by heating at 300 degrees C for 1 h leads to the easy axis out of plane, while the irradiation of proton with a dose of 1 x 10(13) P/cm(2) leads to the easy axis in plane. The theoretical modeling supports such magnetic easy axes.open16
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