Unusual Two-Step Assembly of a Minimalistic Dipeptide-Based Functional Hypergelator

Self-assembled peptide hydrogels represent the realization of peptide nanotechnology into biomedical products. There is a continuous quest to identify the simplest building blocks and optimize their critical gelation concentration (CGC). Herein, a minimalistic, de novo dipeptide, Fmoc-Lys(Fmoc)-Asp, as an hydrogelator with the lowest CGC ever reported, almost fourfold lower as compared to that of a large hexadecapeptide previously described, is reported. The dipeptide self-assembles through an unusual and unprecedented two-step process as elucidated by solid-state NMR and molecular dynamics simulation. The hydrogel is cytocompatible and supports 2D/3D cell growth. Conductive composite gels composed of Fmoc-Lys(Fmoc)-Asp and a conductive polymer exhibit excellent DNA binding. Fmoc-Lys(Fmoc)-Asp exhibits the lowest CGC and highest mechanical properties when compared to a library of dipeptide analogues, thus validating the uniqueness of the molecular design which confers useful properties for various potential applications.     

On the Initialisation of Sammon’s Nonlinear Mapping

The initialisation of a neural network implementation of Sammon’s mapping, either randomly or based on the principal components (PCs) of the sample covariance matrix, is experimentally investigated. When PCs are employed, fewer experiments are needed and the network configuration can be set precisely without trial-and-error experimentation. Tested on five real-world databases, it is shown that very few PCs are required to achieve a shorter training period, lower mapping error and higher classification accuracy, compared with those based on random initialisation. Received: 20 April 1999, Received in revised form: 08 July 1999, Accepted: 05 August 1999     

The computer as a zone of proximal development: Internalizing reading-related metacognitions from a Reading Partner.

We hypothesized that computer tools that provide models, opportunity for higher level thinking, and metacognitivelike guidance (e.g., "Can I conjure up an image of the story?") can serve in a learner's zone of proximal development (L. S. Vygotsky, 1978); they can develop competencies through internalization. A computerized Reading Partner presented four reading principles and metacognitivelike questions during the reading of 11 texts over three reading sessions. It was compared with one version that presented the texts with factual and inferential questions and a control version that presented only the texts. Seventh graders using the Reading Partner (n?=?25) reported the expenditure of more mental effort in the process, showed far better metacognitive reconstruction, and improved significantly more in their later reading comprehension and in the quality of their written essays than did the subjects in the other groups. Improvements in reading and writing were statistically accounted for by subjects' ability for metacognitive reconstruction. The study reinforces previous findings pertaining to the role of metacognitions in reading and shows that well-designed computer tools can cultivate competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Implementation of digital signal processing techniques in thedesign of thermal pulse flowmeters

Various digital signal processing methods, which could be applicable to the design of a microcomputer-based thermal pulse flowmeter, are examined. Two excitation methods are investigated: a single thermal pulse, and a pseudorandom binary sequence signal (PRBS). The signal recovered downstream is processed by two alternative numerical algorithms to recover the time of flight (i.e. by peak detection of the signal itself and the peak of the differentiated signal). The recovered thermal pulse and the time of flight are then used to test the validity of two models: a diffusion-advection model and a simple time-delay model. The delay model is found to be compatible with the data, especially when the peak of the output signal derivative is used as a marker for determining the time of flight. The single-pulse injection method is found, in general, to be superior to the PRBS cross-correlation technique, except for the ability of the latter to provide early indication of flow-rate variations     

FTIR Microscopic Studies on Normal, Polyp, and Malignant Human Colonic Tissues

Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) employs a unique approach tooptical diagnosis of tissue pathology based on the characteristic molecularvibrational spectra of the tissue. The biomolecular changes in the cellularand sub-cellular levels developing in abnormal tissue, including a majorityof cancer forms, manifest themselves in different optical signatures, whichcan be detected in infrared microspectroscopy. This report has two parts. Inthe first part, we report studies on normal, premalignant (polyp) andmalignant human colonic tissues from three patients with different stages ofmalignancy. Our method is based on microscopic infrared study (FTIR-microscopy)of thin tissue specimens and a direct comparison with traditional histopathologicalanalysis, which serves as a gold reference. The limited dataavailable showed normal colonic tissue has a stronger absorption thanpolypoid tumor and cancerous types over a wide region in a total of 100measurements. Detailed analysis showed that there is a significant decreasein total carbohydrate, phosphate and possibly creatine contents for polyp andcancerous tissue types in comparison to the controls. The same trend is maintainedin seven other patients studied. The second part consists of an analysis showingthe influence of various independent factors such as age, sex and grade of malignancy. Ourpreliminary results suggest that among the above three factors, age and gradeof malignancy have significant effect on the metabolites level, but sex has onlyminor effect on the measured spectra. Initial results on Linear DiscriminantAnalysis (LDA) showed good classification between normal and malignant cellsof human colonic tissues.     

An adaptive neuro-fuzzy system for automatic image segmentation andedge detection

An autoadaptive neuro-fuzzy segmentation and edge detection architecture is presented. The system consists of a multilayer perceptron (MLP)-like network that performs image segmentation by adaptive thresholding of the input image using labels automatically pre-selected by a fuzzy clustering technique. The proposed architecture is feedforward, but unlike the conventional MLP the learning is unsupervised. The output status of the network is described as a fuzzy set. Fuzzy entropy is used as a measure of the error of the segmentation system as well as a criterion for determining potential edge pixels. The proposed system is capable to perform automatic multilevel segmentation of images, based solely on information contained by the image itself. No a priori assumptions whatsoever are made about the image (type, features, contents, stochastic model, etc.). Such an "universal" algorithm is most useful for applications that are supposed to work with different (and possibly initially unknown) types of images. The proposed system can be readily employed, "as is," or as a basic building block by a more sophisticated and/or application-specific image segmentation algorithm. By monitoring the fuzzy entropy relaxation process, the system is able to detect edge pixels     

Epstein-Barr virus and AIDS-related primary central nervous system lymphoma. Viral detection by immunohistochemistry, RNA in situ hybridization, and polymerase chain reaction

The efficacy of a low dose of mifepristone, 5 mg/day for the first 15 days of the menstrual cycle, followed by medroxy-progesterone acetate (MPA), 10 mg/day for the next 13 days, for inhibiting ovulation was assessed in ten volunteers who were treated for three successive cycles. Hormonal determinations in blood and urine samples, ovarian ultrasonography and an endometrial biopsy taken on day 21-24 of the third treatment cycle were used to monitor the cycles. Ovulation was confirmed in 11 of the 30 treated cycles and, in these 11, the LH peak and follicular rupture occurred during MPA treatment periods. Out of 19 anovulatory cycles, 16 had no increase in progesterone levels and another 3 developed a luteinized unruptured follicle. Progestin administration induced secretory changes in the endometrium, but irregular or delayed development was found. Regular withdrawal bleeding occurred in all subjects. These data indicate that the sequential regimen can suppress ovulation while maintaining regular bleeding but increased efficacy is needed for phase II clinical trials.