Serially-regulated biological networks fully realize a constrained set of functions

We show that biological networks with serial regulation (each node regulated by at most one other node) are constrained to {\it direct functionality}, in which the sign of the effect of an environmental input on a target species depends only on the direct path from the input to the target, even when there is a feedback loop allowing for multiple interaction pathways. Using a stochastic model for a set of small transcriptional regulatory networks that have been studied experimentally, we further find that all networks can achieve all functions permitted by this constraint under reasonable settings of biochemical parameters. This underscores the functional versatility of the networks.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Evaluation of surface-modified materials by model assisted analyses of Barkhausen effect signals

Barkhausen effect (BE) measurements offer a useful technique for evaluation of surface conditions of magnetic materials. Theoretical analysis of BE signals has nevertheless remained a challenge due to a lack of adequate model description of the phenomenon. This paper presents model‐assisted analysis of BE signals with an aim of evaluating surface‐modified materials whose magnetic properties vary continuously with depth. The approach is based on an extended BE model which describes the signal power spectrum. In the extended model, the local fluctuation of pinning field and correlation length parameters, which characterize domain wall motion and hence the generation of BE signals, are related to the domain wall pinning strength which vary with depth as described in terms of a parametrized function. In this study, the BE signals measured over a broad frequency range from carburized steels and oxidized Ni97Al3 were analyzed using multiple frequency passbands to extract signals generated at different depths. Depth profiles of the pinning field fluctuation and correlation length were determined by obtaining the best fit of the modeled BE signal power to the experimental data. The inverted profiles show changes at depths which agree with case depths of the carburized steel samples, and with the oxidization depths of the Ni97Al3 samples

Antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on anisotropic triangular lattice in the presence of magnetic field

We use Schwinger boson mean field theory to study the antiferromagnetic spin-1/2 Heisenberg model on an anisotropic triangular lattice in the presence of a uniform external magnetic field. We calculate the field dependence of the spin incommensurability in the ordered spin spiral phase, and compare the results to the recent experiments in Cs$_{2}$CuCl$_{4}$ by Coldea et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 1335 (2001)).Comment: 4 pages with 4 figures include

Patterns of Interactions in Complex Social Networks Based on Coloured Motifs Analysis

Coloured network motifs are small subgraphs that enable to discover and interpret the patterns of interaction within the complex networks. The analysis of three-nodes motifs where the colour of the node reflects its high – white node or low – black node centrality in the social network is presented in the paper. The importance of the vertices is assessed by utilizing two measures: degree prestige and degree centrality. The distribution of motifs in these two cases is compared to mine the interconnection patterns between nodes. The analysis is performed on the social network derived from email communication

The infection of primary avian tracheal epithelial cells with infectious bronchitis virus

Here we introduce a culture system for the isolation, passaging and amplification of avian tracheal epithelial (ATE) cells. The ATE medium, which contains chicken embryo extract and fetal bovine serum, supports the growth of ciliated cells, goblet cells and basal cells from chicken tracheas on fibronectin- or matrigel-coated dishes. Non-epithelial cells make up less than 10% of the total population. We further show that ATE cells support the replication and spread of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Interestingly, immunocytostaining revealed that basal cells are resistant to IBV infection. We also demonstrate that glycosaminoglycan had no effect on infection of the cells by IBV. Taken together, these findings suggest that primary ATE cells provide a novel cell culture system for the amplification of IBV and the in vitro characterization of viral cytopathogenesis

Fermi surfaces and quasi-particle band dispersions of the iron pnictides superconductor KFe2As2 observed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

We have performed an angle-resolved photoemission study of the iron pnictide superconductor KFe2As2 with Tc 4 K. Most of the observed Fermi surfaces show almost two-dimensional shapes, while one of the quasi-particle bands near the Fermi level has a strong dispersion along the kz direction, consistent with the result of a band-structure calculation. However, hole Fermi surfaces \alpha and \zeta are smaller than those predicted by the calculation while other Fermi surfaces are larger. These observations are consistent with the result of a de Haas-van Alphen study and a theoretical prediction on inter-band scattering, possibly indicating many body effects on the electronic structure.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures. Proceeding of the 9th International Conference on Spectroscopies in Novel Superconductors (SNS2010

Environmental Effects on Glass Fiber Reinforced Polyester and Vinylester Composites

The effects of environment on glass fiber reinforced polyester and vinylester composites immersed in liquids and in humid air were investi gated. Tests were performed at temperatures 23 C and 93 C with the materials exposed to humid air at 50 and 100 percent relative humidities, and to five different liquids: saturated salt water, No. 2 diesel fuel, lubrica ting oil, antifreeze, and indolene. Changes in weight, ultimate tensile strength, tensile modulus, short beam shear strength, and shear modulus were measured over a six month period, and the effects of the environment on these parameters were assessed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66642/2/10.1177_002199838001400304.pd

Immunolocalization of chloride transporters to gill epithelia of euryhaline teleosts with opposite salinity-induced Na+/K+-ATPase responses

Opposite patterns of branchial Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) responses were found in euryhaline milkfish (Chanos chanos) and pufferfish (Tetraodon nigroviridis) upon salinity challenge. Because the electrochemical gradient established by NKA is thought to be the driving force for transcellular Cl- transport in fish gills, the aim of this study was to explore whether the differential patterns of NKA responses found in milkfish and pufferfish would lead to distinct distribution of Cl- transporters in their gill epithelial cells indicating different Cl- transport mechanisms. In this study, immunolocalization of various Cl- transport proteins, including Na+/K+/2Cl(-) cotransporter (NKCC), cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), anion exchanger 1 (AE1), and chloride channel 3 (ClC-3), were double stained with NKA, the basolateral marker of branchial mitochondrion-rich cells (MRCs), to reveal the localization of these transporter proteins in gill MRC of FW- or SW-acclimated milkfish and pufferfish. Confocal microscopic observations showed that the localization of these transport proteins in the gill MRCs of the two studied species were similar. However, the number of gill NKA-immunoreactive (IR) cells in milkfish and pufferfish exhibited to vary with environmental salinities. An increase in the number of NKA-IR cells should lead to the elevation of NKA activity in FW milkfish and SW pufferfish. Taken together, the opposite branchial NKA responses observed in milkfish and pufferfish upon salinity challenge could be attributed to alterations in the number of NKA-IR cells. Furthermore, the localization of these Cl- transporters in gill MRCs of the two studied species was identical. It depicted the two studied euryhaline species possess the similar Cl- transport mechanisms in gills

Shot-peening intensities vs. eddy current signals as seen in iterative treatment-measurement experiment

We report on progress in a swept high frequency eddy current (SHFEC) technique for characterization of surface residual stress on shot‐peened superalloy surfaces. Our aim here is to demonstrate the sensitivity of our measurement for practical shot peening intensities, i.e. at 4 ∼ 6 A. First, we present our improved probe and instrumentation being sufficiently sensitive to resolve the surface conditions at these low Almen intensities, where our earlier measurements encountered noise problems. The previous coil was also larger (18 mm in diameter) than desirable. Our new probe integrates smaller coils (12 mm in diameter, forming an AC bridge) and on‐board electronics on a common printed circuit board, mutually connected at the shortest possible distance. The operational‐amplifier‐based electronics acts as impedance buffers, and maintains the cabling impedance at the characteristic 50 Ω between the probe board and the instruments. We have thus reduced the instrumentation noises. Second, we present the result of an iterative treatment‐measurement experiment, performed on a 2”‐by‐3” Inconel 718 block specimen, initially polished to a mirror finish. After an initial baseline SHFEC measurement, we performed shot peening, an Almen strip deflection measurement, and a SHFEC measurement as one iteration cycle, and repeated the cycles multiple times at predetermined intervals. We will show the resulting SHFEC signals (i.e. lift‐off normalized vertical‐component signals) plotted against the Almen intensities. We then draw several conclusions from the experimental data, including a) the SHFEC signals increase monotonically in correlation with the Almen intensity increase, and b) the SHFEC signals exhibit sufficient deviations to resolve 4 ∼ 6 A intensities, while c) the SHFEC signals indicate saturation of the Inconel 718 response against peening, but the saturation occurs later in the iteration than indicated by the A‐series Almen strip

A scaling law for nondestructive evaluation of shot peening induced surface material property deviations

Shot peening is frequently used to improve mechanical characteristics of metallic components’ surfaces. The physical properties of shot peened surfaces exhibit deviations from their bulk values. This paper shows that there exists a scaling law (universality) among seemingly unrelated material property deviations and among different peening conditions. We present examples and support for scaling behaviors based on experimental data on Almen strip deflection, cold work and residual stress profiles of a shot peened nickel‐base superalloy (Waspaloy), and swept frequency eddy current signals used for NDE studies of another shot peened nickel‐base superalloy (Inconel 718). In addition, a fast impedance calculation formula for a coil placed on a metal with small, continuous conductivity deviation is presented and used for analytical and numerical study of eddy current signals