BACKGROUND & AIMS: Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a heterodimeric, macrophage-derived cytokine that is elevated in Crohn's disease (CD). Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 (EBI3) is a recently characterized human glycoprotein that is homologous to the 40-kilodalton chain of IL-12 and forms a heterodimer with the 35-kilodalton chain of IL-12. We investigated the expression of EBI3 in colonic mucosa of normal control subjects, patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), and patients with CD. METHODS: Colonic tissue was analyzed for messenger RNA (mRNA) expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and for protein expression by immunohistology and Western blotting. RESULTS: EBI3 mRNA was present in intestinal biopsy specimens from healthy subjects and patients with CD but was elevated only in active UC. EBI3 levels in UC specimens correlated with histological scores of activity and T-cell infiltration. EBI3-positive cells that had a shape consistent with that of macrophages were identified in the lamina propria, and protein was detected by Western blotting. CONCLUSIONS: EBI3 is a novel IL-12-related cytokine that is expressed by macrophage-like cells in normal intestine and CD and has enhanced expression in active UC but not in active CD. 相似文献
It is well known that a nonlinear system with a white Gaussian noise input can be characterized in terms of kernels using the celebrated Wiener theory. In a practical use of the method, however, one may encounter difficulty in obtaining higher order kernels except for the first few because of, for instance, the excessive computational requirement. In this paper, we give an integro-differential formula on the kernels and as its application, an algorithm to identify a cascade system of a linear, a memoryless nonlinear, and linear subsystems, which we call a sandwich system as a whole. According to the formula, kernels up to the second order for different power levels of the input noise are required to identify the subsystems. Impulse response functions of the two linear subsystems can be obtained under appropriate normalization conditions, while the nonlinear subsystem is estimated in the form of a truncated Hermite polynomial expansion. As illustrated examples, two such systems are identified using the algorithm. 相似文献
A secure optical storage based on a configuration of a joint transform correlator by use of a photorefractive material is presented. A key code designed through the use of an optimized algorithm so that its Fourier transform has a uniform amplitude distribution and a uniformly random phase distribution is introduced. Original two-dimensional data and the key code are placed side-by-side at the input plane. Both of them are stored in a photorefractive material as a joint power spectrum. The retrieval of the original data can be achieved with the same key code. We can record multiple two-dimensional data in the same crystal by angular multiplexing and/or key code multiplexing. 相似文献
Relationships between the morphologies and mechanical properties of binary blends of a photocurable polymer (2‐propenoic acid, (octahydro‐4,7‐methano‐1H‐indenediyl) bis(methylene)ester; DCA) and a linear polymer (poly(4,4′‐cyclohexylidene bisphenol carbonate); PCz) have been investigated. The blend films are prepared by in situ photopolymerization of homogeneous mixtures of a DCA‐monomer and PCz. The phase structure has been converted from a semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks (semi‐IPN) structure to a bicontinuous structure by controlling the cure temperature. Bicontinuous phase‐separated structures can be obtained by curing a wide range of compositions of 17–50 wt.‐% PCz at high temperatures. Miscible semi‐IPN structures are attained by means of photopolymerization below the glass transition temperature of the homogenous mixture before performing photoirradiation, such that magnetic relaxation measurements showed the blend to be miscible in the 10 nm order. The tensile strength and modulus reached a maximum in those blends having an intermediate vague phase structure between semi‐IPN and bicontinuous structures that have a strong interfacial interaction, which leads to incomplete phase decomposition in the PCz‐rich matrix phase. The maximum strength and modulus prepared under optimum condition are inferior to those of the individual components. In contrast, the elongation and break energy are greatly improved in those blends with bicontinuous structures having a diffused phase boundary.
DCA‐rich domain size in bicontinuous structure for DCA/PCz system, as a function of cure temperature; (□) 17 wt.‐% PCz, (○) 30 wt.‐% PCz, and (?) 50 wt.‐% PCz. 相似文献
The main objective of this study is to devise a technique, which, when implemented into finite-element codes, is efficiently applicable to impact collapse analyses of framed structures. In this study, the formerly developed adaptively shifted integration (ASI) technique for the linear Timoshenko beam element is modified into the ASI-Gauss technique by placing the numerical integration points of the two consecutive elements forming an elastically deformed member in such a way that stresses and strains are evaluated at the Gaussian integration points of the two-element member. On comparison with the ASI technique, the ASI-Gauss technique proves its higher accuracy and efficiency in elastic range. Moreover, instead of applying impact loads in the form of nodal forces, we consider the impact phenomenon by means of contacts between the elements involved and the elemental contact algorithm is verified from the point of conservation of energy. Impact analyses considering member fracture with different sets of parameters are performed using a high-rise framed structure and a small aircraft. From the results obtained, we can observe propagation phenomena of impact loads and shock waves. Also, a proper difference in impact damage is obtained by different sets of parameters. The results also indicate that the mass of the aircraft has a stronger influence on impact damage than its velocity. Moreover, soon after impact, tensile stresses are observed in the columns that were compressed by dead loads before impact. 相似文献
Porous mullite ceramics with unidirectionally oriented pores were prepared by an extrusion method using rayon fibers as the pore formers. Rayon fibers of 8.1, 9.6, 16.8, and 37.6 μm in diameter were used as the pore formers and were kneaded with alumina powder, kaolin clay, China earthen clay, and water to form pastes. These pastes were extruded into cylindrical tubes, dried, and fired at 1500 °C for 4 h. The apparent porosities ranged from 45.7 to 48.2 %. The pore size distributions showed a sharp peak at 9.4, 10.0, 15.6, and 30 μm with increasing fiber diameters. The height of the capillary rise was 1780, 1670, 1320, and 950 mm with increasing fiber diameter. The maximum capillary rise is much higher than previously reported. The contact angle and effective pore radius that determine the capillary rise ability were calculated by fitting the capillary rise curves using the Fries and Dreyer’s equation. 相似文献
In this study we developed composite coatings consisting of amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H) and molybdenum-disulfide (MoS2), and clarified their microstructure. In addition, we interpreted the tribological properties of the composite coatings in the viewpoint of a deposition-induced microstructural modification. The coatings were produced by the hybrid deposition technique of RF-generated methane and argon plasma and DC magnetron co-sputtering of MoS2 target. The deposition parameter investigated in this study was methane flow rate. Structural analyses were performed using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and an atomic force microscope (AFM). Friction tests were conducted using a ball-on-disk type tribometer. From an electron micrograph, it was confirmed that nano-clusters were embedded into an amorphous carbon host matrix. Surface roughness of the composite coating was ~ 0.25 nm in Ra compared to 5.0 nm in Ra of sputtered MoS2. The concentration measurements were performed, and the results show that the sulfur and molybdenum concentration ratio, [S]/[Mo], is ~ 0.9, which indicates that the amount of sulfur was reduced due to the discharged plasma. In friction tests, composite coatings showed high friction in a vacuum condition. It was considered that lubricant MoS2 lamellar structures showing super-low friction in a vacuum condition during friction could not be formed between ball and coating during friction because of the lack of sulfur in embedded clusters. 相似文献
We describe a technique, simpler than earlier ones, for using SPICE in the computation of the 1/f, step, and delta noise indices of linear and time-valiant filters. The method is based on obtaining a weighting function from the results of simulation and is demonstrated for triangular and trapezoidal shapers. The results are compared with those obtained by direct calculation. The greatest discrepancies occur when the method is applied to gated integrators, but the errors are probably due to artifacts not related to the basic method described here 相似文献