PHoM – a Polyhedral Homotopy Continuation Method for Polynomial Systems

PHoM is a software package in C++ for finding all isolated solutions of polynomial systems using a polyhedral homotopy continuation method. Among three modules constituting the package, the first module StartSystem constructs a family of polyhedral-linear homotopy functions, based on the polyhedral homotopy theory, from input data for a given system of polynomial equations f(x)=0. The second module CMPSc traces the solution curves of the homotopy equations to compute all isolated solutions of f(x)=0. The third module Verify checks whether all isolated solutions of f(x)=0 have been approximated correctly. We describe numerical methods used in each module and the usage of the package. Numerical results to demonstrate the performance of PHoM include some large polynomial systems that have not been solved previously.AMS Subject Classification: Primary: 65H10 system of equations, secondary: 65H20 global methods, including homotopy approaches.     

Improving bioactivity and durability of yttria-stabilized zirconia

Because of its excellent mechanical properties, yttria-stabilized zirconia is currently used as an orthopedic and dental material. In this study, we have improved the bioactivity of yttria-stabilized zirconia by a combination of electrical polarization and chemical treatment. The phase transformation from tetragonal to monoclinic ZrO₂ after alkaline treatment was inhibited on positively charged yttria-stabilized zirconia surfaces compared with negatively charged and conventional surfaces. During polarization, some oxide ions move from the positively charged surface to the negatively charged surface, leading to an increase in oxygen vacancies on the positive surface and hence greater formation of Zr–OH when this surface was exposed to alkaline solution. This then reduced the water adsorption at this surface and consequently reduced the rate of cleavage of Zr–O–Zr bonds. The bioactivity was assessed by immersing the samples in simulated body fluid and evaluating the growth of apatite on the surfaces. The combination of polarization and alkaline treatment increased the bioactivity in vitro.     

Neurite outgrowths of neurons on patterned self-assembled monolayers

The effects of specific chemical functionalities on the neurite outgrowths of embryonic chick dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons and PC12h cells were investigated using a set of chemically functionalized surfaces prepared by self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiolates with R = NH2, COOH, and CH3 on patterned gold surfaces. The numbers of neurons with neurite outgrowths were compared in the course of a two-week cultivation period. Neurons with neurite outgrowths were observed predominantly on a patterned SAM of long-chain alkanethiolates with amino groups. After about two weeks, the neurons detached from the patterned SAM. However, the activity of beta-galactosidase immobilized via a patterned SAM did not decrease over a 13-d period, reflecting the long-term stability of the SAM. Therefore, the neurons became detached upon cell death. These results demonstrate that the patterned SAM of 11-amino-1-undecanethiolate is a scaffold suitable for making cell chips.     

Suppression of cell death in primary rat hepatocytes by alpha1-acid glycoprotein

In screening for effective additives for the long-term culture of hepatocytes, the hepatoprotective effect of alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) was observed. AGP prevented primary hepatocytes from undergoing cell death induced by the chemical toxin, bromobenzene. Moreover, AGP added to medium was found to maintain the number of viable hepatocytes for as long as 6 d. The hepatoprotective effect of AGP was lost by removing sialic acid groups at the N-glycan chain terminal of AGP. It is shown that the complete form of N-glycan chain is needed for the hepatoprotectivity of AGP.     

Strigolactones Modulate Salicylic Acid-Mediated Disease Resistance in Arabidopsis thaliana

Strigolactones are low-molecular-weight phytohormones that play several roles in plants, such as regulation of shoot branching and interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and parasitic weeds. Recently, strigolactones have been shown to be involved in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stress conditions. Herein, we analyzed the effects of strigolactones on systemic acquired resistance induced through salicylic acid-mediated signaling. We observed that the systemic acquired resistance inducer enhanced disease resistance in strigolactone-signaling and biosynthesis-deficient mutants. However, the amount of endogenous salicylic acid and the expression levels of salicylic acid-responsive genes were lower in strigolactone signaling-deficient max2 mutants than in wildtype plants. In both the wildtype and strigolactone biosynthesis-deficient mutants, the strigolactone analog GR24 enhanced disease resistance, whereas treatment with a strigolactone biosynthesis inhibitor suppressed disease resistance in the wildtype. Before inoculation of wildtype plants with pathogenic bacteria, treatment with GR24 did not induce defense-related genes; however, salicylic acid-responsive defense genes were rapidly induced after pathogenic infection. These findings suggest that strigolactones have a priming effect on Arabidopsis thaliana by inducing salicylic acid-mediated disease resistance.     

Role of 99mTc-labeled RBC SPECT in the diagnosis of hepatic hemangioma--comparison with US, CT and angiography

The roles of planar imaging and SPECT with 99mTc-labeled RBC, US, Dynamic CT and angiography in the diagnosis of hepatic hemangioma were evaluated. The study group consisted of 18 patients with a total of 40 hemangiomas and 13 patients with a total of 21 non-hemangiomas. Among these patients, 5 patients with a total of 8 hemangiomas and 10 patients with a total of 14 non-hemangiomas were diagnosed by operation and biopsy. In all 40 hemangiomas, sensitivity for planar imaging was 35%, SPECT 50%, US 53%, Dynamic CT 82% and angiography 81%, respectively. When the tumor size was greater than 2.2 cm by SPECT and 2.8 cm by planar imaging, their sensitivity for both methods was 100%. Specificity for planar imaging was 100%, SPECT 95%, US 81%, Dynamic CT 100% and angiography 83%, respectively. One patient with hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed by angiography showed increased uptake on SPECT. Because of the highest accuracy for SPECT in hemangioma greater than 2.0 cm, SPECT should be considered to be the method of choice for noninvasive diagnosis of hemangioma.     

Efficient conditional transgene expression in hepatitis C virus cDNA transgenic mice mediated by the Cre/loxP system

Conditional gene expression has greatly facilitated the examination of the functions of particular gene products. Using the Cre/loxP system, we developed efficient conditional transgene activation of hepatitis C virus (HCV) cDNA (nucleotides 294-3435) in transgenic mice. Efficient recombination was observed in transgenic mouse liver upon intravenous administration of adenovirus that expresses Cre DNA recombinase. After transgene activation, most hepatocytes were stained with anti-core polyclonal antibody, and 21-, 37-, and 64-kDa proteins were detected by Western blot analysis in liver lysates using anti-core, E1, and E2 monoclonal antibodies, respectively. Serum core protein was detected in transgenic mice 7 days after transgene activation with concurrent increases in serum alanine aminotransferase levels. Subsequently, an anti-core antibody response was detected 14 days after infection. Furthermore, a CD4 and CD8 positive cell depletion assay normalized both the serum alanine aminotransferase increases and pathological changes in the liver. These results suggest that HCV proteins are not directly cytopathic and that the host immune response plays a pivotal role in HCV infection. Thus, this HCV cDNA transgenic mouse provides a powerful tool with which to investigate the immune responses and pathogenesis of HCV infection.     

Internal Flow of Acoustically Levitated Droplet

Under the microgravity environment, products of new and high quality materials solidified into homogeneous crystal by under cooling solidification have been the subject of much interest. Manufacture of material under the microgravity environment can be performed more static than that under the normal gravity. Handling technology of molten metal is important for such processes to hold in the limit space. However, when a large levitated droplet exists in the limit space, internal flow can be appeared remarkably. Elucidation of the effect of the internal flow of the levitated droplet is required in order to establish the containerless processing for new material under the microgravity environment. In current research, the internal flow of a levitated droplet was investigated by Zhao et al. (J Acoust Soc Am 106:589–595, 1999a and 106:3289–3295, 1999b) and Trinh et al. (Phys Fluids 12(2):249–251, 2000). These studies were analyzed numerically and theoretically. However, experimental study about the internal flow of the levitated droplet is not enough. According to our study Abe et al. (Microgravity Sci Technol 19(3–4):33–34, 2007), the authors observed internal flow of the water and glycerol droplet in normal gravity environment. In the water droplet, which is a low viscosity fluid, internal flow of both left and right hand rotation was observed. On the other hand, in the glycerol droplet, which is a high viscosity fluid, only rigid body rotation was observed. This research measured only two dimensional flows. It is thought that internal flow in the water is not two-dimensional but three-dimensional flow. Then, in order to investigate a three-dimensional flow structure in levitated water droplet in detail, we try to measure the three-dimensional flow in the levitated droplet. In the present study, test fluid with different viscosity is levitated. And, multidimensional PIV measurement is conducted to investigate the internal flow structure in a levitated droplet. Stereo images at equatorial plane of a levitated droplet are observed for measuring the three-dimensional component of velocity in the levitated droplet. As a result, the velocity of z direction is observed in the water droplet. On the other hand, the v _z is hardly observed in the glycerol droplet. The three dimensional structures of water and glycerol are differed. The difference of such flow structure is supposed to be due to the influence of the viscosity.     

Preparation of sulfoxide residue bonded silica stationary phase for separation of polychlorinated biphenyls from mineral oils

In this study, a sulfoxide residue bonded silica stationary phase was prepared for the separation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from mineral oils, and its properties were investigated. Organic sulfide was attached to a silica surface by an amide bond, and the bonded sulfide residues were oxidized to sulfoxide with hydrogen peroxide to afford sulfoxide and sulfone residues bonded to the stationary phases (0.84 and 0.63 mmol of sulfur bonded per gram, respectively). The oxidation states of sulfur atoms bonded on the stationary phases could be determined using high-resolution X-ray fluorescence spectra. The modified stationary phases, especially sulfoxide-bonded one, separated PCBs from mineral oils (paraffin-based transformer oils) more efficiently than aminopropyl silica or other polar stationary phases that have been used for the cleanup of PCBs. The chromatographic parameters for an aliphatic hydrocarbon (eicosane) and some PCB congeners indicated strong retention of highly chlorinated biphenyls by the sulfoxide-bonded silica compared with the aminopropyl silica. A cleanup procedure was established for simple determination of PCBs in mineral oil samples using the sulfoxide-bonded silica packed column fractionation. The analytical method was validated using a certified reference material and a PCB-fortified transformer oil sample.