A model-free, fully automated baseline-removal method for Raman spectra

We present here a fully automated spectral baseline-removal procedure. The method uses a large-window moving average to estimate the baseline; thus, it is a model-free approach with a peak-stripping method to remove spectral peaks. After processing, the baseline-corrected spectrum should yield a flat baseline and this endpoint can be verified with the χ(2)-statistic. The approach provides for multiple passes or iterations, based on a given χ(2)-statistic for convergence. If the baseline is acceptably flat given the χ(2)-statistic after the first pass at correction, the problem is solved. If not, the non-flat baseline (i.e., after the first effort or first pass at correction) should provide an indication of where the first pass caused too much or too little baseline to be subtracted. The second pass thus permits one to compensate for the errors incurred on the first pass. Thus, one can use a very large window so as to avoid affecting spectral peaks--even if the window is so large that the baseline is inaccurately removed--because baseline-correction errors can be assessed and compensated for on subsequent passes. We start with the largest possible window and gradually reduce it until acceptable baseline correction based on the χ(2) statistic is achieved. Results, obtained on both simulated and measured Raman data, are presented and discussed.     

Relation of crack-induced current shunting to transport current and n-value in DyBCO-coated superconductor

Transport current and n-value of DyBCO-coated conductor pulled in tension were measured experimentally and their relation to crack-induced current shunting was analyzed with the partial crack-current shunting model. The following features were revealed. The shunting current increases with increasing transport current and with increasing crack size. At low voltage where shunting current is low, the transport current of cracked sample normalized with respect to the transport current in non-cracked state is described with the modified ratio of non-cracked area to overall cross-sectional area of superconducting layer. At high voltage where the shunting current is high, the normalized transport current becomes higher than the modified ratio of non-cracked area. The increase in shunting current with transport current (and voltage) leads to a decrease in n-value at high current (voltage). This phenomenon is enhanced by crack extension.     

Dynamical Transition of 4He Crystallization in a Very High Porosity Aerogel

Crystallization of ⁴He in aerogels of 90 and 96% porosities shows a dynamical phase transition at around 600 mK due to the competition between thermal fluctuation and disorder: crystals grow via creep at high temperatures and via avalanche at low temperatures. In a very high porosity 99.5% aerogel, however, the transition had not been observed in our previous publication (Nomura et al. in Phys. Rev. Lett. 101:175703, 2008). We improved the spatial resolution of the video image and found that the 99.5% aerogel did have the transition at around 200 mK, which is much lower than those of the lower porosities. The avalanche size is significantly smaller in the 99.5% aerogel. The reduction in the transition temperature and avalanche size may be the consequence of weaker disorder for the crystallization in the very high porosity aerogel.     

The roles of the N-linked glycans and extension regions of soybean beta-conglycinin in folding, assembly and structural features

Beta-conglycinin, one of the dominant storage proteins of soybean, is a trimer composed of three subunits, alpha, alpha' and beta. All subunits are N-glycosylated and alpha and alpha' contain extension regions in addition to the core regions common to all subunits. Non-glycosylated individual subunits and deletion mutants (alpha(c) and alpha'(c)) lacking the extension regions of alpha and alpha' were expressed in Escherichia coli. All recombinant proteins were purified to near homogeneity and appeared to have the correct conformation, as judged by CD, density-gradient centrifugation and gel-filtration profiles, indicating that the N-linked glycans and extension regions are not essential for the folding and the assembly into trimers of beta-conglycinin. Density-gradient centrifugation, gel-filtration and differential scanning calorimetry profiles of the recombinant proteins and the native beta-conglycinin indicated that the N-linked glycans and extension regions contribute to the dimension of beta-conglycinin but not to the density and the thermal stability. Comparing the solubilities of the individual subunits with those of deletion mutants, only the alpha and alpha' subunits were soluble at lower ionic strength (mu < 0.25) at around the pH value of the endoplasmic reticulum. This suggests that the extension regions play an important role in the prevention of aggregation in the endoplasmic reticulum in analogy with the N-linked glycans.     

Fluticasone propionate reduced the production of GM-CSF, IL-6 and IL-8 generated from cultured nasal epithelial cells

The stages of mental rotation of complicated three-dimensional figures were studied using the intracortical interaction mapping. The role of the parietal areas in the mental rotation was shown. The frontal, central and the right temporal areas are involved in the prerotation setup. Both frontal areas and the left temporo-parieto-occipital areas participate in decision making and verbal response. In the case of unsuccessful task solving the process stops at the prerotation setup stage. During the verbal control the zones of the predominant connections at the first 3 stages are close to those in the background activity.     

Specific IgA and IgG antibodies to house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae in nasal secretions

As far as we know, IgA and IgG antibodies to purified house dust mite allergens Der fI and Der fII in nasal secretions have never been documented. Therefore, we determined specific IgA, SIgA and IgG antibodies (abs) to crude extract of D. farinae and its purified allergens Der fI and der f II in nasal secretions collected by aspiration from 34 normal subjects, 25 untreated nasal allergic patients and 28 treated nasal allergic patients on parenteral immunotherapy by means of an avidin-biotin ELISA. The following results were obtained. (1) The specific IgA, SIgA and IgG abs to each of the three kinds of allergens correlated with each other. The groups of patients with nasal allergy (both treated and untreated) showed higher levels of specific IgA, SIgA and IgG abs to the allergens than the normal group. (2) In the group of treated patients, the levels of specific abs were not correlated with the clinical improvement of symptoms or the degree of response to nasal challenge. (3) The treated patients failed to show significantly higher levels of abs in nasal secretions than the untreated patients. (4) The specific IgA and SIgA abs in nasal secretions seemed to be predominantly produced locally, and IgG abs might be transudated from the circulation.     

Osteochondral lesions of the proximal phalanx of the great toe: a report of two cases

OBJECTIVE: To establish whether diltiazem reduces subcutaneous calcinosis (SCC) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), and whether this calcinosis is related to other signs or symptoms. METHODS: 47 patients with SSc were evaluated and divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of SCC. RESULTS: Among the 12 patients with SCC who were treated with diltiazem and had sequential hand radiographs (differential time between the two radiographs: 7.8+/-4 years), there was a slight radiological improvement in three patients only. More patients with SCC had anticentromere antibodies than patients without (p = 0.003), fewer had anti-Scl 70 antibodies (p = 0.01), more had telangiectasia and giant capillaries ( p + 0.04 and 0.048 respectively), and SCC patients had significantly fewer capillaries at the nailfold (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: These results do not clearly indicate that diltiazem is effective in calcinosis associated with SSc. Among the patients with SSc, those who also had SCC exhibited a distinctive autoimmune profile and more severe cutaneous capillary injury than those without SCC.     

Practical equalizer for a perpendicular magnetic disk

We have developed a readback equalizer for a perpendicular magnetic disk with a commercial anisotropic magnetoresistive head for use with a PR4ML read channel with 8-9 coding. The transfer function of the perpendicular magnetic disk, derived by Fourier analysis, has a phase lag of 90/spl deg/ from that of the longitudinal magnetic disk. We defined the parameters of the equalizer by simulation. The equalized readback signal nearly satisfied Nyquist's first criterion. Using resistor-capacitor circuits that correspond to the simulated function, we obtained a byte-error rate of below 10/sup -7/. Comparing the effect of incorporating PR4 or PR1 as part of the equalizer, we observed that PR4 gave a lower bit-error rate than PR1. Thus, PR4 is an effective detection method for a perpendicular magnetic disk. It is suitable not only for longitudinal magnetic disks, but also for perpendicular magnetic disks.