A feasibility study of signal processing to improve antenna gain Final report

Feasibility of signal processor with phase isolator for adaptive antenna arra

Development of physical and mathematical models for the Porous Ceramic Tube Plant Nutrification System (PCTPNS)

A physical model of the Porous Ceramic Tube Plant Nutrification System (PCTPNS) was developed through microscopic observations of the tube surface under various operational conditions. In addition, a mathematical model of this system was developed which incorporated the effects of the applied suction pressure, surface tension, and gravitational forces as well as the porosity and physical dimensions of the tubes. The flow of liquid through the PCTPNS was thus characterized for non-biological situations. One of the key factors in the verification of these models is the accurate and rapid measurement of the 'wetness' or holding capacity of the ceramic tubes. This study evaluated a thermistor based moisture sensor device and recommendations for future research on alternative sensing devices are proposed. In addition, extensions of the physical and mathematical models to include the effects of plant physiology and growth are also discussed for future research

Multiple forms of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase of Neurospora crassa

Multiple forms of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase of Neurospora crassa

Concentration of chromatographic effluent for gel electrophoresis

Concentration of chromatographic effluent for gel electrophoresi

The IGF-I axis in kidney and skeletal muscle of potassium deficient rats

The IGF-I axis in kidney and skeletal muscle of potassium deficient rats. Potassium deficiency in the rat results in growth retardation, muscle wasting and renal hypertrophy. This study tests the thesis that K deficiency leads to tissue distinct changes in the local IGF-I system and cell sensitivity to IGF-I that favors renal enlargement on the one hand and impaired muscle growth on the other. In rats after eight days of K deficiency, compared to pair-fed control rats, food utilization and muscle and body wt gain were attenuated while the kidneys enlarged. In muscle GH receptor and IGF-I gene expression, IGF-I peptide and IGF binding protein-5 (IGFBP) levels were decreased. Together with reduced food utilization, these changes may contribute to the attenuated muscle growth. In the enlarged kidneys despite a fall in IGF-I mRNA level, IGF-I peptide concentration was increased more than twofold. This increase in IGF-I could be caused by the increase in kidney IGFBP-1 gene and protein expression and the decrease in kidney IGF-I degrading activity noted in K deficiency. Treatment with IGF-I failed to induce body or muscle growth, but induced a further increase in kidney size and enlargement of the spleen. Thus, in K deficiency the spontaneous increase in IGF-I levels in the kidney that is IGF-I sensitive may well be a cause of the renal hypertrophy

Analytical Models for Vehicle/Gap Distribution on Automated Highway Systems

Highway congestion has in recent years become a pervasive problem for urban and suburban areas alike. The concept of Automated Highway Systems is based on the belief that integration of sensing, communication, and control technologies into vehicles and highways can lead to a large improvement in capacity and safety without requiring a significant amount of additional highway right-of-way. A fundamental determinant of Automated Highway Systems capacity is the vehicle-following rule, the rule that governs the behavior of vehicles traveling along a common lane (e.g., the spacing between any two longitudinally adjacent vehicles). Vehicle following affects the longitudinal capacity (achievable flow within a lane), the lateral capacity (achievable flow between lanes) and the conflicting relationship between the longitudinal flow and lateral capacity. The issues are investigated by developing probabilistic models for vehicle/platoon and gap distributions, for vehicles that travel in platoons, in slots, or as free-agents. Mathematical models are also developed to estimate the completion time of a lane change, which can be used as a surrogate for the lateral capacity. Numerical results for the three major vehicle-following rules and their comparison are also provided

Entrance Capacity of an Automated Highway System

This paper evaluates the entrance capacity and queueing delay for Automated Highway Systems through use of simulations and analytical modeling. Queueing statistics are also used to determine the sustainable capacity of alternative concepts, taking trip length distribution and spacing between ramps into consideration. Based on safety-spacing headways (produced in a separate analysis), the most promising concept utilizes platoons both on the highway and on on-ramps. However, it is unclear whether comparable capacity can be achieved on exit, when vehicles must be decoupled from their platoons, and whether it is safe for vehicles to enter the highway in closely spaced platoons. The analytical evaluation indicates that entrance/exit spacing on the order of one per 2 km or closer would be required to support highways with total capacity on the order of 20,000 vehicles per hour. Most likely, this would be achieved most efficiently if separate dedicated entrances are provided for automated vehicles, to minimize weaving on manual lanes

Pericentromeric Regions Are Refractory To Prompt Repair after Replication Stress-Induced Breakage in HPV16 E6E7-Expressing Epithelial Cells

Chromosomal instability is the major form of genomic instability in cancer cells. Amongst various forms of chromosomal instability, pericentromeric or centromeric instability remains particularly poorly understood. In the present study, we found that pericentromeric instability, evidenced by dynamic formation of pericentromeric or centromeric rearrangements, breaks, deletions or iso-chromosomes, was a general phenomenon in human cells immortalized by expression of human papillomavirus type 16 E6 and E7 (HPV16 E6E7). In particular, for the first time, we surprisingly found a dramatic increase in the proportion of pericentromeric chromosomal aberrations relative to total aberrations in HPV16 E6E7-expressing cells 72 h after release from aphidicolin (APH)-induced replication stress, with pericentromeric chromosomal aberrations becoming the predominant type of structural aberrations (~70% of total aberrations). In contrast, pericentromeric aberrations accounted for only about 20% of total aberrations in cells at the end of APH treatment. This increase in relative proportion of pericentromeric aberrations after release from APH treatment revealed that pericentromeric breaks induced by replication stress are refractory to prompt repair in HPV16 E6E7-expressing epithelial cells. Telomerase-immortalized epithelial cells without HPV16 E6E7 expression did not exhibit such preferential pericentromeric instability after release from APH treatment. Cancer development is often associated with replication stress. Since HPV16 E6 and E7 inactivate p53 and Rb, and p53 and Rb pathway defects are common in cancer, our finding that pericentromeric regions are refractory to prompt repair after replication stress-induced breakage in HPV16 E6E7-expressing cells may shed light on mechanism of general pericentromeric instability in cancer. © 2012 Deng et al.published_or_final_versio