12,966 research outputs found

    Change in electrophoretic mobility of PC12 cells after cultured on PVA membranes modified with different diamines

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    The cell-biomaterial interaction is of extreme importance in regulating the numerous functions necessary for cell adhesion, growth, and differentiation. In the current study, electrophoresis was used to investigate the interactions between cells and biomaterials by measuring the change in electrophoretic mobility of pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells after they were cultured on the poly (vinyl alcohol) membranes modified with different diamines. Variations in cellular activity and electrophoretic mobility of cultured cells were compared. It was found that the intracellular metabolism and the cell surface charge properties were altered after cells contacting biomaterials and the variation of the latter occurred earlier than that of the former. Although the precise mechanism by which the variation of electrophoretic mobility of cultured PC12 cells was unknown, the biomaterials could influence the cell mobility within a short incubation time. It was hypothesized that changes in extracellular matrix components of cell surface may be in part responsible

    Rede uitgesproken op 17 september 1956 ter gelegenheid van de erepromotie van Dr. Th. von Karman door de promotor Dr. C.B. Biezeno

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    Rede uitgesproken door prof. C.B. Biezeno ter gelegenheid van de erepromotie aan de TH Delft van dr. Theodore von Karman.Precision and Microsystems EngineeringMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin

    Prof. Th. W. Adorno and the author Hans Erich Nossack.

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    Prof. Th. W. Adorno and the author Hans Erich Nossack at a reception of Insel Verlag, Buchmesse Frankfurt 1966LB

    Author, publisher and bookseller : a tripartite synergy in Nigerian book industry

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    This work is about the roles of Author, Publisher and Bookseller in Book development in Nigeria. The paper started by delving into the history of Book Publishing in Nigeria after which it proceeded by defining who an author, a publisher, and a bookseller is and expatiated on the indispensable roles of these key actors in Nigerian Book Industry and in the emerging Information Society. Furthermore, the various constraints to book development were identified while the paper advised on how the Book Industry can be further promoted in Nigeria. However, the paper concluded and made recommendations on how the Book sector can help in enhancing scholarship in the country

    Approximate Selection with Unreliable Comparisons in Optimal Expected Time

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    Given n elements, an integer k ≤ n/2 and a parameter ε ≥ 1/n, we study the problem of selecting an element with rank in (k-nε, k+nε] using unreliable comparisons where the outcome of each comparison is incorrect independently with a constant error probability, and multiple comparisons between the same pair of elements are independent. In this fault model, the fundamental problems of finding the minimum, selecting the k-th smallest element and sorting have been shown to require Θ(n log 1/Q), Θ(n log k/Q) and Θ(n log n/Q) comparisons, respectively, to achieve success probability 1-Q [Uriel Feige et al., 1994]. Considering the increasing complexity of modern computing, it is of great interest to develop approximation algorithms that enable a trade-off between the solution quality and the number of comparisons. In particular, approximation algorithms would even be able to attain a sublinear number of comparisons. Very recently, Leucci and Liu [Stefano Leucci and Chih-Hung Liu, 2022] proved that the approximate minimum selection problem, which covers the case that k ≤ nε, requires expected Θ(ε^{-1} log 1/Q) comparisons, but the general case, i.e., for nε < k ≤ n/2, is still open. We develop a randomized algorithm that performs expected O(k/n ε^{-2} log 1/Q) comparisons to achieve success probability at least 1-Q. For k = n ε, the number of comparisons is O(ε^{-1} log 1/Q), matching Leucci and Liu’s result [Stefano Leucci and Chih-Hung Liu, 2022], whereas for k = n/2 (i.e., approximating the median), the number of comparisons is O(ε^{-2} log 1/Q). We also prove that even in the absence of comparison faults, any randomized algorithm with success probability at least 1-Q performs expected Ω(min{n, k/n ε^{-2} log 1/Q}) comparisons. As long as n is large enough, i.e., when n = Ω(k/n ε^{-2} log 1/Q), our lower bound demonstrates the optimality of our algorithm, which covers the possible range of attaining a sublinear number of comparisons. Surprisingly, for constant Q, our algorithm performs expected O(k/n ε^{-2}) comparisons, matching the best possible approximation algorithm in the absence of computation faults. In contrast, for the exact selection problem, the expected number of comparisons is Θ(n log k) with faults versus Θ(n) without faults. Our results also indicate a clear distinction between approximating the minimum and approximating the k-th smallest element, which holds even for the high probability guarantee, e.g., if k = n/2, Q = 1/n and ε = n^{-α} for α ∈ (0, 1/2), the asymptotic difference is almost quadratic, i.e., Θ̃(n^α) versus Θ̃(n^{2α})

    Comparative Geochemistry of 234Th, 210Pb, and 210Po: A Case Study in the Hung-Tsai Trough off South western Taiwan

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    Detailed profiles of dissolved and particulate 234Th, 210Pb, and 210Po activities at three stations in the Hung-Tsai Trough off south western Taiwan were determined. The total 234Th activ ity is 20 ~ 25% deficientfrom its secular equilibrium in the entire water column. Except for an evident excess of 210Po at some depths in the mixed layer and in the pycnocline layer, total 210Po activity is also lower than total 210Pb activity. As a result of atmospheric deposition, 210Pb is about 25% in excess of its parent, 226Ra, through out the water column of the Hung-Tsai Trough. The ratios of the distribution coefficients of 234Th, 210Pb, and 210Po show that the order of particle affinity is Po > Th ~ Pb in the mixed layer and bottom layer, whereas the order changes, due to particlere generation, into Th > Pb > Po in the pycnocline layer of the Hung-Tsai Trough

    Yersinia pestis DNA from Skeletal Remains from the 6(th) Century AD Reveals Insights into Justinianic Plague.

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    Yersinia pestis, the etiologic agent of the disease plague, has been implicated in three historical pandemics. These include the third pandemic of the 19(th) and 20(th) centuries, during which plague was spread around the world, and the second pandemic of the 14(th)-17(th) centuries, which included the infamous epidemic known as the Black Death. Previous studies have confirmed that Y. pestis caused these two more recent pandemics. However, a highly spirited debate still continues as to whether Y. pestis caused the so-called Justinianic Plague of the 6(th)-8(th) centuries AD. By analyzing ancient DNA in two independent ancient DNA laboratories, we confirmed unambiguously the presence of Y. pestis DNA in human skeletal remains from an Early Medieval cemetery. In addition, we narrowed the phylogenetic position of the responsible strain down to major branch 0 on the Y. pestis phylogeny, specifically between nodes N03 and N05. Our findings confirm that Y. pestis was responsible for the Justinianic Plague, which should end the controversy regarding the etiology of this pandemic. The first genotype of a Y. pestis strain that caused the Late Antique plague provides important information about the history of the plague bacillus and suggests that the first pandemic also originated in Asia, similar to the other two plague pandemics
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