Sample records for analog benfotiamine prevents

  1. Thiamine and benfotiamine prevent stress-induced suppression of hippocampal neurogenesis in mice exposed to predation without affecting brain thiamine diphosphate levels.

    PubMed

    Vignisse, Julie; Sambon, Margaux; Gorlova, Anna; Pavlov, Dmitrii; Caron, Nicolas; Malgrange, Brigitte; Shevtsova, Elena; Svistunov, Andrey; Anthony, Daniel C; Markova, Natalyia; Bazhenova, Natalyia; Coumans, Bernard; Lakaye, Bernard; Wins, Pierre; Strekalova, Tatyana; Bettendorff, Lucien

    2017-07-01

    Thiamine is essential for normal brain function and its deficiency causes metabolic impairment, specific lesions, oxidative damage and reduced adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN). Thiamine precursors with increased bioavailability, especially benfotiamine, exert neuroprotective effects not only for thiamine deficiency (TD), but also in mouse models of neurodegeneration. As it is known that AHN is impaired by stress in rodents, we exposed C57BL6/J mice to predator stress for 5 consecutive nights and studied the proliferation (number of Ki67-positive cells) and survival (number of BrdU-positive cells) of newborn immature neurons in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus. In stressed mice, the number of Ki67- and BrdU-positive cells was reduced compared to non-stressed animals. This reduction was prevented when the mice were treated (200mg/kg/day in drinking water for 20days) with thiamine or benfotiamine, that were recently found to prevent stress-induced behavioral changes and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) upregulation in the CNS. Moreover, we show that thiamine and benfotiamine counteract stress-induced bodyweight loss and suppress stress-induced anxiety-like behavior. Both treatments induced a modest increase in the brain content of free thiamine while the level of thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) remained unchanged, suggesting that the beneficial effects observed are not linked to the role of this coenzyme in energy metabolism. Predator stress increased hippocampal protein carbonylation, an indicator of oxidative stress. This effect was antagonized by both thiamine and benfotiamine. Moreover, using cultured mouse neuroblastoma cells, we show that in particular benfotiamine protects against paraquat-induced oxidative stress. We therefore hypothesize that thiamine compounds may act by boosting anti-oxidant cellular defenses, by a mechanism that still remains to be unveiled. Our study demonstrates, for the first time, that thiamine and benfotiamine prevent

  2. Prevention of Endotoxin-Induced Uveitis in Rats by Benfotiamine, a Lipophilic Analogue of Vitamin B1

    PubMed Central

    Yadav, Umesh C. S.; Subramanyam, Sumitra; Ramana, Kota V.

    2009-01-01

    Purpose To study the amelioration of ocular inflammation in endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) in rats by benfotiamine, a lipid-soluble analogue of thiamine. Methods EIU in Lewis rats was induced by subcutaneous injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) followed by treatment with benfotiamine. The rats were killed 3 or 24 hours after LPS injection, eyes were enucleated, aqueous humor (AqH) was collected, and the number of infiltrating cells, protein concentration, and inflammatory marker levels were determined. Immunohistochemical analysis of eye sections was performed to determine the expression of inducible–nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (Cox)-2, protein kinase C (PKC), and transcription factor NF-κB. Results Infiltrating leukocytes, protein concentrations, and inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were significantly elevated in the AqH of EIU rats compared with control rats, and benfotiamine treatment suppressed these increases. Similarly increased expression of inflammatory markers iNOS and Cox-2 in ciliary body and retinal wall was also significantly inhibited by benfotiamine. The increased phosphorylation of PKC and the activation of NF-κB in the ciliary body and in the retinal wall of EIU rat eyes were suppressed by benfotiamine. Conclusions These results suggest that benfotiamine suppresses oxidative stress–induced NF-κB– dependent inflammatory signaling leading to uveitis. Therefore, benfotiamine could be used as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of ocular inflammation, especially uveitis. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. PMID:19136698

  3. Benfotiamine, a synthetic S-acyl thiamine derivative, has different mechanisms of action and a different pharmacological profile than lipid-soluble thiamine disulfide derivatives

    PubMed Central

    Volvert, Marie-Laure; Seyen, Sandrine; Piette, Marie; Evrard, Brigitte; Gangolf, Marjorie; Plumier, Jean-Christophe; Bettendorff, Lucien

    2008-01-01

    Background Lipid-soluble thiamine precursors have a much higher bioavailability than genuine thiamine and therefore are more suitable for therapeutic purposes. Benfotiamine (S-benzoylthiamine O-monophosphate), an amphiphilic S-acyl thiamine derivative, prevents the progression of diabetic complications, probably by increasing tissue levels of thiamine diphosphate and so enhancing transketolase activity. As the brain is particularly sensitive to thiamine deficiency, we wanted to test whether intracellular thiamine and thiamine phosphate levels are increased in the brain after oral benfotiamine administration. Results Benfotiamine that is practically insoluble in water, organic solvents or oil was solubilized in 200 mM hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and the mice received a single oral administration of 100 mg/kg. Though thiamine levels rapidly increased in blood and liver to reach a maximum after one or two hours, no significant increase was observed in the brain. When mice received a daily oral administration of benfotiamine for 14 days, thiamine derivatives were increased significantly in the liver but not in the brain, compared to control mice. In addition, incubation of cultured neuroblastoma cells with 10 μM benfotiamine did not lead to increased intracellular thiamine levels. Moreover, in thiamine-depleted neuroblastoma cells, intracellular thiamine contents increased more rapidly after addition of thiamine to the culture medium than after addition of benfotiamine for which a lag period was observed. Conclusion Our results show that, though benfotiamine strongly increases thiamine levels in blood and liver, it has no significant effect in the brain. This would explain why beneficial effects of benfotiamine have only been observed in peripheral tissues, while sulbutiamine, a lipid-soluble thiamine disulfide derivative, that increases thiamine derivatives in the brain as well as in cultured cells, acts as a central nervous system drug. We propose that

  4. Benfotiamine, a synthetic S-acyl thiamine derivative, has different mechanisms of action and a different pharmacological profile than lipid-soluble thiamine disulfide derivatives.

    PubMed

    Volvert, Marie-Laure; Seyen, Sandrine; Piette, Marie; Evrard, Brigitte; Gangolf, Marjorie; Plumier, Jean-Christophe; Bettendorff, Lucien

    2008-06-12

    Lipid-soluble thiamine precursors have a much higher bioavailability than genuine thiamine and therefore are more suitable for therapeutic purposes. Benfotiamine (S-benzoylthiamine O-monophosphate), an amphiphilic S-acyl thiamine derivative, prevents the progression of diabetic complications, probably by increasing tissue levels of thiamine diphosphate and so enhancing transketolase activity. As the brain is particularly sensitive to thiamine deficiency, we wanted to test whether intracellular thiamine and thiamine phosphate levels are increased in the brain after oral benfotiamine administration. Benfotiamine that is practically insoluble in water, organic solvents or oil was solubilized in 200 mM hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin and the mice received a single oral administration of 100 mg/kg. Though thiamine levels rapidly increased in blood and liver to reach a maximum after one or two hours, no significant increase was observed in the brain. When mice received a daily oral administration of benfotiamine for 14 days, thiamine derivatives were increased significantly in the liver but not in the brain, compared to control mice. In addition, incubation of cultured neuroblastoma cells with 10 muM benfotiamine did not lead to increased intracellular thiamine levels. Moreover, in thiamine-depleted neuroblastoma cells, intracellular thiamine contents increased more rapidly after addition of thiamine to the culture medium than after addition of benfotiamine for which a lag period was observed. Our results show that, though benfotiamine strongly increases thiamine levels in blood and liver, it has no significant effect in the brain. This would explain why beneficial effects of benfotiamine have only been observed in peripheral tissues, while sulbutiamine, a lipid-soluble thiamine disulfide derivative, that increases thiamine derivatives in the brain as well as in cultured cells, acts as a central nervous system drug. We propose that benfotiamine only penetrates the cells

  5. Effectiveness and retention of thiamine and its analogs administered to steelhead and landlocked Atlantic salmon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ketola, H.G.; Isaacs, G.R.; Robins, J.S.; Lloyd, R.C.

    2008-01-01

    We investigated the feasibility of enhancing the reproduction of steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss and landlocked Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in lakes where the consumption of alewives Alosa pseudoharengus and other forage fishes containing thiaminase can cause them to become thiamine deficient and thereby reduce the survival of their fry. We evaluated feeding fingerling steelhead excess thiamine hydrochloride (THCl) for 1 or 2 weeks or equimolar amounts of thiamine mononitrate, thiamine-tetrahydrofurfuryl-disulfide, benfotiamine, or dibenzoyl thiamine (DBT). We found minimal internal reserves of thiamine after 6 months. We also compared the ability of injections of thiamine and its analogs to prevent mortality in thiamine-deficient steelhead and Atlantic salmon sac fry and found all forms to be effective, although benfotiamine was the least effective on an equimolar basis. Further, we injected yearling steelhead and found that DBT was tolerated at approximately 11,200 nmol/g of body weight, about 10 times more than thiamine in any other form. When yearling steelhead were injected with near-maximal doses of thiamine hydrochloride and several analogs and then fed a thiamine-deficient diet, DBT was retained for approximately 2 years - in contrast to other forms, which were retained for less than about 6 months. Therefore, these results suggest that neither feeding nor injecting young hatchery salmonids with DBT is likely to enhance their reproduction for more than 2 years after stocking. However, injecting DBT in nearly mature fish (either cultured fish from hatcheries or wild fish captured in lakes) may provide them with enough thiamine to successfully spawn within 2 years even though they consume mainly thiaminase-containing forage fishes. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2008.

  6. Thiamine and benfotiamine improve cognition and ameliorate GSK-3β-associated stress-induced behaviours in mice.

    PubMed

    Markova, Nataliia; Bazhenova, Nataliia; Anthony, Daniel C; Vignisse, Julie; Svistunov, Andrey; Lesch, Klaus-Peter; Bettendorff, Lucien; Strekalova, Tatyana

    2017-04-03

    Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency in the brain has been implicated in the development of dementia and symptoms of depression. Indirect evidence suggests that thiamine may contribute to these pathologies by controlling the activities of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β. While decreased GSK-3β activity appears to impair memory, increased GSK-3β activity is associated with the distressed/depressed state. However, hitherto direct evidence for the effects of thiamine on GSK-3β function has not been reported. Here, we administered thiamine or, the more bioavailable precursor, benfotiamine at 200mg/kg/day for 2weeks to C57BL/6J mice, to determine whether treatment might affect behaviours that are known to be sensitive to GSK-3β activity and whether such administration impacts on GSK-3β expression within the brain. The mice were tested in models of contextual conditioning and extinction, a 5-day rat exposure stress test, and a modified swim test with repeated testing. The tricyclic antidepressant imipramine (7.5mg/kg/day), was administered as a positive control for the effects of thiamine or benfotiamine. As for imipramine, both compounds inhibited the upregulation of GSK-3β induced by predator stress or repeated swimming, and reduced floating scores and the predator stress-induced behavioural changes in anxiety and exploration. Coincident, thiamine and benfotiamine improved learning and extinction of contextual fear, and the acquisition of the step-down avoidance task. Our data indicate that thiamine and benfotiamine have antidepressant/anti-stress effects in naïve animals that are associated with reduced GSK-3β expression and conditioning of adverse memories. Thus thiamine and benfotiamine may modulate GSK-3β functions in a manner that is dependent on whether the contextual conditioning is adaptive or maladaptive. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Using Analogies to Prevent Misconceptions about Chemical Equilibrium

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sahin Pekmez, Esin

    2010-01-01

    The main purpose of this study was to find the effectiveness of using analogies to prevent misconceptions about chemical equilibrium. Nineteen analogies, which were based on dynamic aspects of chemical equilibrium and application of Le Chatelier's principle, were developed. The participations of this study consisted of 11th grade students (n: 151)…

  8. Metabolically inactive insulin analog prevents type I diabetes in prediabetic NOD mice.

    PubMed Central

    Karounos, D G; Bryson, J S; Cohen, D A

    1997-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the relative importance of the metabolic effects of insulin for diabetes prevention by administering insulin or an inactive insulin analog by daily subcutaneous injections to prediabetic mice. A recombinant monomeric human insulin analog, which does not bind to the insulin receptor as a consequence of an alteration of a single amino acid at position 25 of the B chain, was shown to be equally effective at diabetes prevention as was intact insulin. In contrast to native insulin, the insulin analog did not cause hypoglycemia after subcutaneous injection. The insulin analog, however, protected young adult mice from diabetes, even when it was initiated after the onset of extensive lymphocytic infiltration of the islets. Thus, preventative therapy by daily subcutaneous injections of insulin does not require the hypoglycemic response, or binding to the insulin receptor to prevent the onset of type I diabetes. PMID:9294099

  9. Effectiveness of egg immersion in aqueous solutions of thiamine and thiamine analogs for reducing early mortality syndrome

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, S.B.; Brown, L.R.; Brown, M.; Moore, K.; Villella, M.; Fitzsimons, J.D.; Williston, B.; Honeyfield, D.C.; Hinterkopf, J.P.; Tillitt, D.E.; Zajicek, J.L.; Wolgamood, M.

    2005-01-01

    Protocols used for therapeutic thiamine treatments in salmonine early mortality syndrome (EMS) were investigated in lake trout Salvelinus namaycush and coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch to assess their efficacy. At least 500 mg of thiamine HCl/L added to egg baths was required to produce a sustained elevation of thiamine content in lake trout eggs. Thiamine uptake from egg baths was not influenced by a pH ranging from 5.5 to 7.5 or by a water hardness between 2 and 200 mg CaCO3/L. There was poorer thiamine uptake when initial thiamine levels were low, suggesting that current treatment regimes may not be as effective when thiamine levels are severely depressed and that higher treatment doses are necessary. Exposure of eggs to the more lipid-soluble thiamine analog allithiamine (1,000 mg/L) during water hardening increased egg thiamine levels by 1.5-2.5 nmol/g and was completely effective at reversing EMS. Another more lipid-soluble thiamine analog, benfotiamine (100 mg/L), reduced EMS but did not produce detectable increases in egg thiamine content. Although benfotiamine may be more effective than thiamine at mitigating EMS, it is more expensive than thiamine HCl or allithiamine. In addition, there still needs to be a more thorough examination of dose-response relationships. We conclude that allithiamine is an alternative to the use of thiamine in egg baths as a therapeutic treatment for salmonid EMS. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

  10. Prevention of acetic acid-induced colitis by desferrithiocin analogs in a rat model.

    PubMed

    Bergeron, Raymond J; Wiegand, Jan; Weimar, William R; Nguyen, John Nhut; Sninsky, Charles A

    2003-02-01

    Iron contributes significantly to the formation of reactive oxygen species via the Fenton reaction. Therefore, we assessed whether a series of desferrithiocin analogs, both carboxylic acids and hydroxamates, could (1) either promote or diminish the iron-mediated oxidation of ascorbate, (2) quench a model radical species, 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+), and (3) when applied topically, prevent acetic acid-induced colitis in rats. Surprisingly, most of the desferrithiocin analogs inhibited the Fenton reaction to an approximately equivalent degree; however, substantial differences were observed in the capacity of the analogs to scavenge the model radical cation. Four carboxylic acid desferrithiocin analogs and their respective N-methylhydroxamates were tested along with desferrioxamine and Rowasa, a currently accepted topical therapeutic agent for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in a rodent model of acetic acid-induced colitis. The colonic damage was quantitated by two independent measurements. Although neither radical scavenging nor prevention of Fenton chemistry was a definitive predictor of in vivo efficacy, the overall trend is that desferrithiocin analogs substituted with an N-methylhydroxamate in the place of the carboxylic acid are both better free radical scavengers and more active against acetic acid-induced colitis. These results represent an intriguing alternative avenue to the development of improved IBD therapeutic agents.

  11. A novel spectral resolution and simultaneous determination of multicomponent mixture of Vitamins B1, B6, B12, Benfotiamine and Diclofenac in tablets and capsules by derivative and MCR-ALS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hegazy, Maha A.; Abdelwahab, Nada S.; Fayed, Ahmed S.

    2015-04-01

    A novel method was developed for spectral resolution and further determination of five-component mixture including Vitamin B complex (B1, B6, B12 and Benfotiamine) along with the commonly co-formulated Diclofenac. The method is simple, sensitive, precise and could efficiently determine the five components by a complementary application of two different techniques. The first is univariate second derivative method that was successfully applied for determination of Vitamin B12. The second is Multivariate Curve Resolution using the Alternating Least Squares method (MCR-ALS) by which an efficient resolution and quantitation of the quaternary spectrally overlapped Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Benfotiamine and Diclofenac sodium were achieved. The effect of different constraints was studied and the correlation between the true spectra and the estimated spectral profiles were found to be 0.9998, 0.9983, 0.9993 and 0.9933 for B1, B6, Benfotiamine and Diclofenac, respectively. All components were successfully determined in tablets and capsules and the results were compared to HPLC methods and they were found to be statistically non-significant.

  12. A novel spectral resolution and simultaneous determination of multicomponent mixture of Vitamins B1, B6, B12, Benfotiamine and Diclofenac in tablets and capsules by derivative and MCR-ALS.

    PubMed

    Hegazy, Maha A; Abdelwahab, Nada S; Fayed, Ahmed S

    2015-04-05

    A novel method was developed for spectral resolution and further determination of five-component mixture including Vitamin B complex (B1, B6, B12 and Benfotiamine) along with the commonly co-formulated Diclofenac. The method is simple, sensitive, precise and could efficiently determine the five components by a complementary application of two different techniques. The first is univariate second derivative method that was successfully applied for determination of Vitamin B12. The second is Multivariate Curve Resolution using the Alternating Least Squares method (MCR-ALS) by which an efficient resolution and quantitation of the quaternary spectrally overlapped Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Benfotiamine and Diclofenac sodium were achieved. The effect of different constraints was studied and the correlation between the true spectra and the estimated spectral profiles were found to be 0.9998, 0.9983, 0.9993 and 0.9933 for B1, B6, Benfotiamine and Diclofenac, respectively. All components were successfully determined in tablets and capsules and the results were compared to HPLC methods and they were found to be statistically non-significant. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Melanoma prevention by MC1R selective small peptide analogs of alpha MSH | Division of Cancer Prevention

    Cancer.gov

    This revised application will test the hypothesis that small peptide analogs of ¿-melanocortin (¿-MSH) that are selective agonists of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) will prevent melanoma tumor formation in transgenic mouse melanoma models by enhancing repair of ultraviolet radiation (UV)-induced DNA damage and stimulating melanogenesis. We have pioneered the research on

  14. Change in psychiatric symptomatology after benfotiamine treatment in males is related to lifetime alcoholism severity.

    PubMed

    Manzardo, Ann M; Pendleton, Tiffany; Poje, Albert; Penick, Elizabeth C; Butler, Merlin G

    2015-07-01

    Severe alcoholism can be associated with significant nutritional and vitamin deficiency, especially vitamin B1 (thiamine) which is associated with neurological deficits impacting mood and cognition. Alcohol consumption was reduced among female but not male alcoholics after supplementation with the high potency thiamine analog benfotiamine (BF). We examined the relationship between lifetime alcoholism severity, psychiatric symptoms and response to BF among the alcohol dependent men from this cohort. Eighty-five adult men (mean age=48±8 years) meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for a current alcohol use disorder who were abstinent <30days participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 600mg BF vs placebo (PL) for 6 months. Psychometric testing included a derived Lifetime Alcoholism Severity Score (AS), Symptom Checklist 90R (SCL-90R), and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS) at baseline and at 6 months. Baseline SCL-90-R scale scores for men with high alcoholism severity (AS≥24; N=46 HAS) were significantly greater than for men with low alcoholism severity (AS<24; N=39 LAS), but BIS scores did not differ. MANOVA modeling at follow-up (N=50 completed subjects) identified a significant treatment effect (F=2.5, df=10, p<0.03) and treatment×alcoholism severity level interaction (F=2.5, dfnum=10, dfden=30, p<0.03) indicating reduced SCL-90-R scores among BF treated, HAS males. Above normal plasma thiamine levels at follow-up predicted reduced depression scores in a BF-treated subset (F=3.2, p<0.09, N=26). BF appears to reduce psychiatric distress and may facilitate recovery in severely affected males with a lifetime alcohol use disorder and should be considered for adjuvant therapy in alcohol rehabilitation. #NCT00680121 High Dose Vitamin B1 to Reduce Abusive Alcohol Use. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. A Mechanical Analogy for the Photoelectric Effect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kovacevic, Milan S.; Djordjevich, Alexandar

    2006-01-01

    Analogy is a potent tool in the teacher's repertoire. It has been particularly well recognized in the teaching of science. However, careful planning is required for its effective application to prevent documented drawbacks when analogies are stretched too far. Befitting the occasion of the World Year of Physics commemorating Albert Einstein's 1905…

  16. Diverse amide analogs of sulindac for cancer treatment and prevention.

    PubMed

    Mathew, Bini; Hobrath, Judith V; Connelly, Michele C; Kiplin Guy, R; Reynolds, Robert C

    2017-10-15

    Sulindac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that has shown significant anticancer activity. Sulindac sulfide amide (1) possessing greatly reduced COX-related inhibition relative to sulindac displayed in vivo antitumor activity that was comparable to sulindac in a human colon tumor xenograft model. Inspired by these observations, a panel of diverse sulindac amide derivatives have been synthesized and their activity probed against three cancer cell lines (prostate, colon and breast). A neutral analog, compound 79 was identified with comparable potency relative to lead 1 and activity against a panel of lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines. Several new series also show good activity relative to the parent (1), including five analogs that also possess nanomolar inhibitory potencies against acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells. Several new analogs identified may serve as anticancer lead candidates for further development. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  17. Structure-activity relationship of piperine and its synthetic amide analogs for therapeutic potential to prevent experimentally induced ER stress in vitro.

    PubMed

    Hammad, Ayat S; Ravindran, Sreenithya; Khalil, Ashraf; Munusamy, Shankar

    2017-05-01

    Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the key organelle involved in protein folding and maturation. Emerging studies implicate the role of ER stress in the development of chronic kidney disease. Thus, there is an urgent need for compounds that could ameliorate ER stress and prevent CKD. Piperine and its analogs have been reported to exhibit multiple pharmacological activities; however, their efficacy against ER stress in kidney cells has not been studied yet. Hence, the goal of this study was to synthesize amide-substituted piperine analogs and screen them for pharmacological activity to relieve ER stress using an in vitro model of tunicamycin-induced ER stress using normal rat kidney (NRK-52E) cells. Five amide-substituted piperine analogs were synthesized and their chemical structures were elucidated by pertinent spectroscopic techniques. An in vitro model of ER stress was developed using tunicamycin, and the compounds of interest were screened for their effect on cell viability, and the expression of ER chaperone GRP78, the pro-apoptotic ER stress marker CHOP, and apoptotic caspases 3 and 12 (via western blotting). Our findings indicate that exposure to tunicamycin (0.5 μg/mL) for 2 h induces the expression of GRP78 and CHOP, and apoptotic markers (caspase-3 and caspase-12) and causes a significant reduction in renal cell viability. Pre-treatment of cells with piperine and its cyclohexylamino analog decreased the tunicamycin-induced upregulation of GRP78 and CHOP and cell death. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that piperine and its analogs differentially regulate ER stress, and thus represent potential therapeutic agents to treat ER stress-related renal disorders. Graphical Abstract Piperine (PIP) reduces the expression of ER stress markers (GRP78 and CHOP) induced by pathologic stimuli and consequently decreases the activation of apoptotic caspase-12 and caspase-3; all of which contributes to its chemical chaperone and cytoprotective properties to protect

  18. Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activities of Makaluvamine Analogs

    PubMed Central

    Nijampatnam, Bhavitavya; Nadkarni, Dwayaja H.; Wu, Hui; Velu, Sadanandan E.

    2014-01-01

    Streptococcus mutans is a key etiological agent in the formation of dental caries. The major virulence factor is its ability to form biofilms. Inhibition of S. mutans biofilms offers therapeutic prospects for the treatment and the prevention of dental caries. In this study, 14 analogs of makaluvamine, a marine alkaloid, were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against S. mutans and for their ability to inhibit S. mutans biofilm formation. All analogs contained the tricyclic pyrroloiminoquinone core of makaluvamines. The structural variations of the analogs are on the amino substituents at the 7-position of the ring and the inclusion of a tosyl group on the pyrrole ring N of the makaluvamine core. The makaluvamine analogs displayed biofilm inhibition with IC50 values ranging from 0.4 μM to 88 μM. Further, the observed bactericidal activity of the majority of the analogs was found to be consistent with the anti-biofilm activity, leading to the conclusion that the anti-biofilm activity of these analogs stems from their ability to kill S. mutans. However, three of the most potent N-tosyl analogs showed biofilm IC50 values at least an order of magnitude lower than that of bactericidal activity, indicating that the biofilm activity of these analogs is more selective and perhaps independent of bactericidal activity. PMID:25767719

  19. Analog current mode analog/digital converter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hadidi, Khayrollah (Inventor)

    1996-01-01

    An improved subranging or comparator circuit is provided for an analog-to-digital converter. As a subranging circuit, the circuit produces a residual signal representing the difference between an analog input signal and an analog of a digital representation. This is achieved by subdividing the digital representation into two or more parts and subtracting from the analog input signal analogs of each of the individual digital portions. In another aspect of the present invention, the subranging circuit comprises two sets of differential input pairs in which the transconductance of one differential input pair is scaled relative to the transconductance of the other differential input pair. As a consequence, the same resistor string may be used for two different digital-to-analog converters of the subranging circuit.

  20. ATLa, an aspirin-triggered lipoxin A4 synthetic analog, prevents the inflammatory and fibrotic effects of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

    PubMed

    Martins, Vanessa; Valença, Samuel S; Farias-Filho, Francisco A; Molinaro, Raphael; Simões, Rafael L; Ferreira, Tatiana P T; e Silva, Patrícia M R; Hogaboam, Cory M; Kunkel, Steven L; Fierro, Iolanda M; Canetti, Claudio; Benjamim, Claudia F

    2009-05-01

    Despite an increase in the knowledge of mechanisms and mediators involved in pulmonary fibrosis, there are no successful therapeutics available. Lipoxins (LX) and their 15-epimers, aspirin-triggered LX (ATL), are endogenously produced eicosanoids with potent anti-inflammatory and proresolution effects. To date, few studies have been performed regarding their effect on pulmonary fibrosis. In the present study, using C57BL/6 mice, we report that bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung fibrosis was prevented by the concomitant treatment with an ATL synthetic analog, ATLa, which reduced inflammation and matrix deposition. ATLa inhibited BLM-induced leukocyte accumulation and alveolar collapse as evaluated by histology and morphometrical analysis. Moreover, Sirius red staining and lung hydroxyproline content showed an increased collagen deposition in mice receiving BLM alone that was decreased upon treatment with the analog. These effects resulted in benefits to pulmonary mechanics, as ATLa brought to normal levels both lung resistance and compliance. Furthermore, the analog improved mouse survival, suggesting an important role for the LX pathway in the control of disease establishment and progression. One possible mechanism by which ATLa restrained fibrosis was suggested by the finding that BLM-induced myofibroblast accumulation/differentiation in the lung parenchyma was also reduced by both simultaneous and posttreatment with the analog (alpha-actin immunohistochemistry). Interestingly, ATLa posttreatment (4 days after BLM) showed similar inhibitory effects on inflammation and matrix deposition, besides the TGF-beta level reduction in the lung, reinforcing an antifibrotic effect. In conclusion, our findings show that LX and ATL can be considered as promising therapeutic approaches to lung fibrotic diseases.

  1. Tissue factor pathway inhibitor prevents airway obstruction, respiratory failure and death due to sulfur mustard analog inhalation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rancourt, Raymond C., E-mail: raymond.rancourt@ucdenver.edu; Veress, Livia A., E-mail: livia.veress@ucdenver.edu; Ahmad, Aftab, E-mail: aftab.ahmad@ucdenver.edu

    Sulfur mustard (SM) inhalation causes airway injury, with enhanced vascular permeability, coagulation, and airway obstruction. The objective of this study was to determine whether recombinant tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) could inhibit this pathogenic sequence. Methods: Rats were exposed to the SM analog 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) via nose-only aerosol inhalation. One hour later, TFPI (1.5 mg/kg) in vehicle, or vehicle alone, was instilled into the trachea. Arterial O{sub 2} saturation was monitored using pulse oximetry. Twelve hours after exposure, animals were euthanized and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and plasma were analyzed for prothrombin, thrombin–antithrombin complex (TAT), active plasminogen activatormore » inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels, and fluid fibrinolytic capacity. Lung steady-state PAI-1 mRNA was measured by RT-PCR analysis. Airway-capillary leak was estimated by BALF protein and IgM, and by pleural fluid measurement. In additional animals, airway cast formation was assessed by microdissection and immunohistochemical detection of airway fibrin. Results: Airway obstruction in the form of fibrin-containing casts was evident in central conducting airways of rats receiving CEES. TFPI decreased cast formation, and limited severe hypoxemia. Findings of reduced prothrombin consumption, and lower TAT complexes in BALF, demonstrated that TFPI acted to limit thrombin activation in airways. TFPI, however, did not appreciably affect CEES-induced airway protein leak, PAI-1 mRNA induction, or inhibition of the fibrinolytic activity present in airway surface liquid. Conclusions: Intratracheal administration of TFPI limits airway obstruction, improves gas exchange, and prevents mortality in rats with sulfur mustard-analog-induced acute lung injury. - Highlights: • TFPI administration to rats after mustard inhalation reduces airway cast formation. • Inhibition of thrombin activation is the likely mechanism for limiting casts. • Rats

  2. Lunar Analog

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cromwell, Ronita L.

    2009-01-01

    In this viewgraph presentation, a ground-based lunar analog is developed for the return of manned space flight to the Moon. The contents include: 1) Digital Astronaut; 2) Bed Design; 3) Lunar Analog Feasibility Study; 4) Preliminary Data; 5) Pre-pilot Study; 6) Selection of Stockings; 7) Lunar Analog Pilot Study; 8) Bed Design for Lunar Analog Pilot.

  3. Analogical scaffolding: Making meaning in physics through representation and analogy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Podolefsky, Noah Solomon

    This work reviews the literature on analogy, introduces a new model of analogy, and presents a series of experiments that test and confirm the utility of this model to describe and predict student learning in physics with analogy. Pilot studies demonstrate that representations (e.g., diagrams) can play a key role in students' use of analogy. A new model of analogy, Analogical Scaffolding, is developed to explain these initial empirical results. This model will be described in detail, and then applied to describe and predict the outcomes of further experiments. Two large-scale (N>100) studies will demonstrate that: (1) students taught with analogies, according to the Analogical Scaffolding model, outperform students taught without analogies on pre-post assessments focused on electromagnetic waves; (2) the representational forms used to teach with analogy can play a significant role in student learning, with students in one treatment group outperforming students in other treatment groups by factors of two or three. It will be demonstrated that Analogical Scaffolding can be used to predict these results, as well as finer-grained results such as the types of distracters students choose in different treatment groups, and to describe and analyze student reasoning in interviews. Abstraction in physics is reconsidered using Analogical Scaffolding. An operational definition of abstraction is developed within the Analogical Scaffolding framework and employed to explain (a) why physicists consider some ideas more abstract than others in physics, and (b) how students conceptions of these ideas can be modeled. This new approach to abstraction suggests novel approaches to curriculum design in physics using Analogical Scaffolding.

  4. Cyber Analogies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-02-28

    distribution is unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT This anthology of cyber analogies will resonate with readers whose duties call for them...THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK v ABSTRACT This anthology of cyber analogies will resonate with readers...fresh insights. THE CASE FOR ANALOGIES All of us on the cyber analogies team hope that this anthol- ogy will resonate with readers whose duties call

  5. Detecting Analogies Unconsciously

    PubMed Central

    Reber, Thomas P.; Luechinger, Roger; Boesiger, Peter; Henke, Katharina

    2014-01-01

    Analogies may arise from the conscious detection of similarities between a present and a past situation. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we tested whether young volunteers would detect analogies unconsciously between a current supraliminal (visible) and a past subliminal (invisible) situation. The subliminal encoding of the past situation precludes awareness of analogy detection in the current situation. First, participants encoded subliminal pairs of unrelated words in either one or nine encoding trials. Later, they judged the semantic fit of supraliminally presented new words that either retained a previously encoded semantic relation (“analog”) or not (“broken analog”). Words in analogs versus broken analogs were judged closer semantically, which indicates unconscious analogy detection. Hippocampal activity associated with subliminal encoding correlated with the behavioral measure of unconscious analogy detection. Analogs versus broken analogs were processed with reduced prefrontal but enhanced medial temporal activity. We conclude that analogous episodes can be detected even unconsciously drawing on the episodic memory network. PMID:24478656

  6. Synthetic Biology: A Unifying View and Review Using Analog Circuits.

    PubMed

    Teo, Jonathan J Y; Woo, Sung Sik; Sarpeshkar, Rahul

    2015-08-01

    We review the field of synthetic biology from an analog circuits and analog computation perspective, focusing on circuits that have been built in living cells. This perspective is well suited to pictorially, symbolically, and quantitatively representing the nonlinear, dynamic, and stochastic (noisy) ordinary and partial differential equations that rigorously describe the molecular circuits of synthetic biology. This perspective enables us to construct a canonical analog circuit schematic that helps unify and review the operation of many fundamental circuits that have been built in synthetic biology at the DNA, RNA, protein, and small-molecule levels over nearly two decades. We review 17 circuits in the literature as particular examples of feedforward and feedback analog circuits that arise from special topological cases of the canonical analog circuit schematic. Digital circuit operation of these circuits represents a special case of saturated analog circuit behavior and is automatically incorporated as well. Many issues that have prevented synthetic biology from scaling are naturally represented in analog circuit schematics. Furthermore, the deep similarity between the Boltzmann thermodynamic equations that describe noisy electronic current flow in subthreshold transistors and noisy molecular flux in biochemical reactions has helped map analog circuit motifs in electronics to analog circuit motifs in cells and vice versa via a `cytomorphic' approach. Thus, a body of knowledge in analog electronic circuit design, analysis, simulation, and implementation may also be useful in the robust and efficient design of molecular circuits in synthetic biology, helping it to scale to more complex circuits in the future.

  7. Perspectives on Chemopreventive and Therapeutic Potential of Curcumin Analogs in Medicinal Chemistry

    PubMed Central

    Padhye, S.; Chavan, D.; Pandey, S.; Deshpande, J.; Swamy, K.V.; Sarkar, F.H.

    2011-01-01

    Curcumin is a natural polyphenol derived from the plant Curcuma longa, commonly called turmeric. Extensive research over past 50 years has indicated that this polyphenol is highly pleiotropic molecule capable of preventing and treating various cancers. The anticancer potential of Curcumin is severely affected by its limited systemic and target tissue bioavailability and rapid metabolism. In the present review article, we provide a summarized account of different drug delivery systems employed for tackling the problem of curcumin's bioavailability such as liposomes, phospholipid complexes and nanoparticles. Concomitantly we have reviewed the large volume of literature reports describing structural modifications of Curcumin and the anticancer potential of its analogs. Some of the difluorocurcumin analogs allowing longer circulation times and preferential accumulation in the pancreas seem to offer promising leads for conducting first in-depth animal studies and subsequently clinical trials for the use of these analogs for prevention of tumor progression and/or treatments of human malignancies. PMID:20370702

  8. Cryoprotective ability of betaine-type metabolite analogs during freezing denaturation of enzymes.

    PubMed

    Nakagawa, Yuichi; Sota, Masahiro; Koumoto, Kazuya

    2015-08-01

    To evaluate an analog library of betaine-type cellular metabolites, which are naturally found in polar fish for survival in subzero temperatures, for preventing denaturation of enzymes during freezing. Comparison of the cryoprotective ability of reported cryoprotectants, such as dimethylsulfoxide, glycerol, ectoine, hydroxyectoine, and trehalose, with betaine-type analogs using α-glucosidase revealed that analogs introducing C3-C6 alkyl chains into an ammonium cation retained 20 % higher activity than the control cryoprotectants at the same concentration. In particular, the analog possessing triplicate n-butyl chains showed a profound effect. It allowed retention of enzyme activity to 95 % even after 100 freeze-thaw cycles, while addition of the control cryoprotectants decreased the activity to 10-20 %. The cryoprotective ability of betaine-type analogs can be applied not only to α-glucosidase but also other enzymes such as β-glucosidase, alkaline phosphatase, lactose dehydrogenase, sulfatase, and horseradish peroxidase. Synthetic betaine-type metabolite analogs possess practicable cryoprotective ability for various enzymes, and are considerably superior to previously reported cryoprotectants.

  9. Analog synthetic biology.

    PubMed

    Sarpeshkar, R

    2014-03-28

    We analyse the pros and cons of analog versus digital computation in living cells. Our analysis is based on fundamental laws of noise in gene and protein expression, which set limits on the energy, time, space, molecular count and part-count resources needed to compute at a given level of precision. We conclude that analog computation is significantly more efficient in its use of resources than deterministic digital computation even at relatively high levels of precision in the cell. Based on this analysis, we conclude that synthetic biology must use analog, collective analog, probabilistic and hybrid analog-digital computational approaches; otherwise, even relatively simple synthetic computations in cells such as addition will exceed energy and molecular-count budgets. We present schematics for efficiently representing analog DNA-protein computation in cells. Analog electronic flow in subthreshold transistors and analog molecular flux in chemical reactions obey Boltzmann exponential laws of thermodynamics and are described by astoundingly similar logarithmic electrochemical potentials. Therefore, cytomorphic circuits can help to map circuit designs between electronic and biochemical domains. We review recent work that uses positive-feedback linearization circuits to architect wide-dynamic-range logarithmic analog computation in Escherichia coli using three transcription factors, nearly two orders of magnitude more efficient in parts than prior digital implementations.

  10. Tissue factor pathway inhibitor prevents airway obstruction, respiratory failure and death due to sulfur mustard analog inhalation.

    PubMed

    Rancourt, Raymond C; Veress, Livia A; Ahmad, Aftab; Hendry-Hofer, Tara B; Rioux, Jacqueline S; Garlick, Rhonda B; White, Carl W

    2013-10-01

    Sulfur mustard (SM) inhalation causes airway injury, with enhanced vascular permeability, coagulation, and airway obstruction. The objective of this study was to determine whether recombinant tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) could inhibit this pathogenic sequence. Rats were exposed to the SM analog 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) via nose-only aerosol inhalation. One hour later, TFPI (1.5mg/kg) in vehicle, or vehicle alone, was instilled into the trachea. Arterial O2 saturation was monitored using pulse oximetry. Twelve hours after exposure, animals were euthanized and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and plasma were analyzed for prothrombin, thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT), active plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) levels, and fluid fibrinolytic capacity. Lung steady-state PAI-1 mRNA was measured by RT-PCR analysis. Airway-capillary leak was estimated by BALF protein and IgM, and by pleural fluid measurement. In additional animals, airway cast formation was assessed by microdissection and immunohistochemical detection of airway fibrin. Airway obstruction in the form of fibrin-containing casts was evident in central conducting airways of rats receiving CEES. TFPI decreased cast formation, and limited severe hypoxemia. Findings of reduced prothrombin consumption, and lower TAT complexes in BALF, demonstrated that TFPI acted to limit thrombin activation in airways. TFPI, however, did not appreciably affect CEES-induced airway protein leak, PAI-1 mRNA induction, or inhibition of the fibrinolytic activity present in airway surface liquid. Intratracheal administration of TFPI limits airway obstruction, improves gas exchange, and prevents mortality in rats with sulfur mustard-analog-induced acute lung injury. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Dietary nucleotides prevent decrease in cellular immunity in ground-based microgravity analog

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yamauchi, Keiko; Hales, Nathan W.; Robinson, Sandra M.; Niehoff, Michael L.; Ramesh, Vani; Pellis, Neal R.; Kulkarni, Anil D.

    2002-01-01

    Microgravity and stress of spaceflights result in immune dysfunction. The role of nutrition, especially nucleotide supplementation, has become an area of intensive research and significant interest in immunomodulation for maintenance of cellular immune responses. The studies presented here evaluate the plausibility of administering nucleotides to obviate immune dysfunction in an Earth-based in vivo analog of microgravity as studied in anti-orthostatic tail suspension (AOS) of mice. Mice were divided into three housing groups: group, isolation, and AOS. Mice were fed either control chow diet (CD), or RNA-, adenine-, or uracil-supplemented CD for the 1-wk duration of the experiments. In AOS mice, supplemental nucleotides significantly increased in vivo lymph node proliferation and ex vivo lymphoproliferation response to alloantigen and mitogens, respectively, and interleukin-2 and interferon-gamma production. A lower corticosterone level was observed in uracil-supplemented CD compared with CD. These results suggest that exogenous nucleotide supplementation, especially uracil, of normal diet is beneficial in the maintenance and restoration of the immune response during the microgravity analog conditions.

  12. Analog synthetic biology

    PubMed Central

    Sarpeshkar, R.

    2014-01-01

    We analyse the pros and cons of analog versus digital computation in living cells. Our analysis is based on fundamental laws of noise in gene and protein expression, which set limits on the energy, time, space, molecular count and part-count resources needed to compute at a given level of precision. We conclude that analog computation is significantly more efficient in its use of resources than deterministic digital computation even at relatively high levels of precision in the cell. Based on this analysis, we conclude that synthetic biology must use analog, collective analog, probabilistic and hybrid analog–digital computational approaches; otherwise, even relatively simple synthetic computations in cells such as addition will exceed energy and molecular-count budgets. We present schematics for efficiently representing analog DNA–protein computation in cells. Analog electronic flow in subthreshold transistors and analog molecular flux in chemical reactions obey Boltzmann exponential laws of thermodynamics and are described by astoundingly similar logarithmic electrochemical potentials. Therefore, cytomorphic circuits can help to map circuit designs between electronic and biochemical domains. We review recent work that uses positive-feedback linearization circuits to architect wide-dynamic-range logarithmic analog computation in Escherichia coli using three transcription factors, nearly two orders of magnitude more efficient in parts than prior digital implementations. PMID:24567476

  13. Newly synthesized curcumin analog has improved potential to prevent colorectal carcinogenesis in vivo.

    PubMed

    Shibata, Hiroyuki; Yamakoshi, Hiroyuki; Sato, Atsuko; Ohori, Hisatsugu; Kakudo, Yuichi; Kudo, Chieko; Takahashi, Yayoi; Watanabe, Mika; Takano, Hiroshi; Ishioka, Chikashi; Noda, Tetsuo; Iwabuchi, Yoshiharu

    2009-05-01

    Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) has chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potentials against various types of cancers. We have developed a series of curcumin analogs to improve its low bioavailability by enhancing its potentials. The newly synthesized analog GO-Y030 [(1E, 4E)-1,5-bis-(3,5(-bismethoxymethoxyphenyl) penta-1,4-dien-3-one] showed a 30-fold greater growth suppression in vitro via similar molecular mechanisms to curcumin. The availability of this analog was examined by using a mouse model harboring the germ-line mutation of Apc, Apc(580D/+), in vivo. Apc(580D/+) mice had a very limited survival time with an intestinal obstruction due to polyposis. The average tumor number in mice fed GO-Y030 was reduced to 61.2% of those that were fed the basal diet (P < 0.05). Compared with Apc(580D/+) mice fed the basal diet (median survival time = 166.5 days), a significantly prolonged lifespan (213 days) was observed in Apc(580D/+) mice fed GO-Y030. The chemopreventive effect with GO-Y030 was improved, compared with curcumin (191 days). The survival benefit corresponded to the diminished intestinal tumor incidence in Apc(580D/+) mice fed GO-Y030. No adverse reactions were observed, judging from body weight or biochemical data concerning liver and renal damage. Degradation of accumulated beta-catenin with curcumin is one of the major mechanisms of chemoprevention in colorectal carcinogenesis. It was demonstrated that the number of beta-catenin-positive adenoma cells in Apc(580D/+) mice fed GO-Y030 was reduced.

  14. Nonvolatile Analog Memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    MacLeod, Todd C. (Inventor)

    2007-01-01

    A nonvolatile analog memory uses pairs of ferroelectric field effect transistors (FFETs). Each pair is defined by a first FFET and a second FFET. When an analog value is to be stored in one of the pairs, the first FFET has a saturation voltage applied thereto, and the second FFET has a storage voltage applied thereto that is indicative of the analog value. The saturation and storage voltages decay over time in accordance with a known decay function that is used to recover the original analog value when the pair of FFETs is read.

  15. High Dynamic Range Nonlinear Measurement using Analog Cancellation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-10-01

    shield around sensitive areas. The target may also be sensitive to radiated coupling from the system and will benefit from a shield box or Faraday ... cage , if it is not already enclosed. On the shared measurement path and through the target, cross-channel coupling cannot be prevented, so low-PIM...testing is desired, traditional filtering is recommended, as the primary benefits of the analog canceller are effectively nullified. 2.4 Wideband

  16. Analog Signal Correlating Using an Analog-Based Signal Conditioning Front End

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prokop, Norman; Krasowski, Michael

    2013-01-01

    This innovation is capable of correlating two analog signals by using an analog-based signal conditioning front end to hard-limit the analog signals through adaptive thresholding into a binary bit stream, then performing the correlation using a Hamming "similarity" calculator function embedded in a one-bit digital correlator (OBDC). By converting the analog signal into a bit stream, the calculation of the correlation function is simplified, and less hardware resources are needed. This binary representation allows the hardware to move from a DSP where instructions are performed serially, into digital logic where calculations can be performed in parallel, greatly speeding up calculations.

  17. Synthesis and radiolabeling of a somatostatin analog for multimodal imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Edwards, W. Barry; Liang, Kexian; Xu, Baogang; Anderson, Carolyn J.; Achilefu, Samuel

    2006-02-01

    A new multimodal imaging agent for imaging the somatostatin receptor has been synthesized and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. A somatostatin analog, conjugated to both 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraaceticacid (DOTA) and cypate (BS-296), was synthesized entirely on the solid phase (Fmoc) and purified by RP-HPLC. DOTA was added as a ligand for radiometals such as 64Cu or 177Lu for either radio-imaging or radiotherapy respectively. Cytate, a cypatesomatostatin analog conjugate, has previously demonstrated the ability to visualize somatostatin receptor rich tumor xenografts and natural organs by optical imaging techniques. BS-296 exhibited low nanomolar inhibitory capacity toward the binding of radiolabeled somatostatin analogs in cell membranes enriched in the somatostatin receptor, demonstrating the high affinity of this multimodal imaging peptide and indicating its potential as a molecular imaging agent. 64Cu, an isotope for diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy, was selected as the isotope for radiolabeling BS-296. BS-296 was radiolabeled with 64Cu in high specific activity (200 μCi/μg) in 90% radiochemical yield. Addition of 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (gentisic acid) prevented radiolysis of the sample, allowing for study of the 64Cu -BS-296 the day following radiolabeling. Furthermore, inclusion of DMSO at a level of 20% was found not to interfere with radiolabeling yields and prevented the adherence of 64Cu -BS-296 to the walls of the reaction vessel.

  18. Lipoxin A4 stable analogs reduce allergic airway responses via mechanisms distinct from CysLT1 receptor antagonism.

    PubMed

    Levy, Bruce D; Lukacs, Nicholas W; Berlin, Aaron A; Schmidt, Birgitta; Guilford, William J; Serhan, Charles N; Parkinson, John F

    2007-12-01

    Cellular recruitment during inflammatory/immune responses is tightly regulated. The ability to dampen inflammation is imperative for prevention of chronic immune responses, as in asthma. Here we investigated the ability of lipoxin A4 (LXA4) stable analogs to regulate airway responses in two allergen-driven models of inflammation. A 15-epi-LXA4 analog (ATLa) and a 3-oxa-15-epi-LXA4 analog (ZK-994) prevented excessive eosinophil and T lymphocyte accumulation and activation after mice were sensitized and aerosol-challenged with ovalbumin. At <0.5 mg/kg, these LXA4 analogs reduced leukocyte trafficking into the lung by >50% and to a greater extent than equivalent doses of the CysLT1 receptor antagonist montelukast. Distinct from montelukast, ATLa treatment led to marked reductions in cysteinyl leukotrienes, interleukin-4 (IL-4), and IL-10, and both ATLa and ZK-994 inhibited levels of IL-13. In cockroach allergen-induced airway responses, both intraperitoneal and oral administration of ZK-994 significantly reduced parameters of airway inflammation and hyper-responsiveness in a dose-dependent manner. ZK-994 also significantly changed the balance of Th1/Th2-specific cytokine levels. Thus, the ATLa/LXA4 analog actions are distinct from CysLT1 antagonism and potently block both allergic airway inflammation and hyper-reactivity. Moreover, these results demonstrate these analogs' therapeutic potential as new agonists for the resolution of inflammation.

  19. PYRIDOXAMINE ANALOGS SCAVENGE LIPID-DERIVED γ-KETOALDEHYDES AND PROTECT AGAINST H2O2-MEDIATED CYTOTOXICITY†

    PubMed Central

    Davies, Sean S.; Brantley, Eric J.; Voziyan, Paul A.; Amarnath, Venkataraman; Zagol-Ikapitte, Irene; Boutaud, Olivier; Hudson, Billy G.; Oates, John A.; Jackson Roberts, L.

    2008-01-01

    Isoketals and levuglandins are highly reactive γ-ketoaldehydes formed by oxygenation of arachidonic acid in settings of oxidative injury and cyclooxygenase activation, respectively. These compounds rapidly adduct to proteins via lysyl residues, which can alter protein structure/function. We examined whether pyridoxamine, which has been shown to scavenge α-ketoaldehydes formed by carbohydrate or lipid peroxidation, could also effectively protect proteins from the more reactive γ-ketoaldehydes. Pyridoxamine prevented adduction of ovalbumin and also prevented inhibition of RNase A and glutathione reductase activity by the synthetic γ-ketoaldehyde, 15-E2-isoketal. We identified the major products of the reaction of pyridoxamine with the 15-E2-isoketal, including a stable lactam adduct. Two lipophilic analogs of pyridoxamine, salicylamine and 5’O-pentylpyridoxamine, also formed lactam adducts when reacted with 15-E2-isoketal. When we oxidized arachidonic acid in the presence of pyridoxamine or its analogs, pyridoxamine-isoketal adducts were found in significantly greater abundance than the pyridoxamine-N-acyl adducts formed by α-ketoaldehyde scavenging. Therefore, pyridoxamine and its analogs appear to preferentially scavenge γ-ketoaldehydes. Both pyridoxamine and its lipophilic analogs inhibited the formation of lysyl-levuglandin adducts in platelets activated ex vivo with arachidonic acid. The two lipophilic pyridoxamine analogs provided significant protection against H2O2-mediated cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells. These results demonstrate the utility of pyridoxamine and lipophilic pyridoxamine analogs to assess the potential contributions of isoketals and levuglandins in oxidant injury and inflammation and suggest their potential utility as pharmaceutical agents in these conditions. PMID:17176098

  20. Synthesis and Anti-cancer Activity of Novel Thiazolidinone Analogs of 6-Aminoflavone.

    PubMed

    Moorkoth, Sudheer

    2015-01-01

    Novel heterocyclic analogs were synthesized by combining a flavone nucleus and thiazolidinone ring in an effort to potentiate the existing anti-cancer activity of flavone. The syntheses of 6-aminoflavone, 6-amino-3-methoxyflavone, 6-amino-3-methoxy-3',4'-dimethxyflavone and their corresponding thiazolidinone analogs were performed. Fifteen novel analogs were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer activity using cell-based assay techniques and in vivo testing. As expected, the analogs improved cytotoxicity and were shown to increase the life span of cancer-bearing mice. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays in HeLa, MDA-MB-435, and Vero cell lines. In vivo evaluation of anti-cancer activity performed in albino mice bearing Dalton's ascites carcinoma showed that the new analogs enhanced life span and prevented increases in body weight owing to tumor volumes. Moreover, cell-cycle analysis and Hoechst staining analysis proved the apoptotic potential of these analogs. Preliminary pharmacokinetic evaluation was carried out on the synthesized compounds to determine the lipophilicity and pKa. Lipophilicity was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography and the results showed a direct correlation between the observed anti-cancer activity and log P value, while pKa values indicated the ionizing range which is a prediction tool for solubility and permeability.

  1. Analog earthquakes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hofmann, R.B.

    1995-09-01

    Analogs are used to understand complex or poorly understood phenomena for which little data may be available at the actual repository site. Earthquakes are complex phenomena, and they can have a large number of effects on the natural system, as well as on engineered structures. Instrumental data close to the source of large earthquakes are rarely obtained. The rare events for which measurements are available may be used, with modfications, as analogs for potential large earthquakes at sites where no earthquake data are available. In the following, several examples of nuclear reactor and liquified natural gas facility siting are discussed.more » A potential use of analog earthquakes is proposed for a high-level nuclear waste (HLW) repository.« less

  2. Analogical Reasoning in Geometry Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Magdas, Ioana

    2015-01-01

    The analogical reasoning isn't used only in mathematics but also in everyday life. In this article we approach the analogical reasoning in Geometry Education. The novelty of this article is a classification of geometrical analogies by reasoning type and their exemplification. Our classification includes: analogies for understanding and setting a…

  3. Abnormal Thiamine-Dependent Processes in Alzheimer’s Disease. Lessons from Diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Gibson, Gary E.; Hirsch, Joseph A.; Cirio, Rosanna T.; Jordan, Barry D.; Fonzetti, Pasquale; Elder, Jessica

    2013-01-01

    Reduced glucose metabolism is an invariant feature of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and an outstanding biomarker of disease progression. Glucose metabolism may be an attractive therapeutic target, whether the decline initiates AD pathophysiology or is a critical component of a cascade. The cause of cerebral regional glucose hypometabolism remains unclear. Thiamine-dependent processes are critical in glucose metabolism and are diminished in brains of AD patients at autopsy. Further, the reductions in thiamine-dependent processes are highly correlated to the decline in clinical dementia rating scales. In animal models, thiamine deficiency exacerbates plaque formation, promotes phosphorylation of tau and impairs memory. In contrast, treatment of mouse models of AD with the thiamine derivative benfotiamine diminishes plaques, decreases phosphorylation of tau and reverses memory deficits. Diabetes predisposes to AD, which suggests they may share some common mechanisms. Benfotiamine diminishes peripheral neuropathy in diabetic humans and animals. In diabetes, benfotiamine induces key thiamine-dependent enzymes of the pentose shunt to reduce accumulation of toxic metabolites including advanced glycation end products (AGE). Related mechanisms may lead to reversal of plaque formation by benfotiamine in animals. If so, the use of benfotiamine could provide a safe intervention to reverse biological and clinical processes of AD progression. PMID:22982063

  4. Meat analog: a review.

    PubMed

    Malav, O P; Talukder, S; Gokulakrishnan, P; Chand, S

    2015-01-01

    The health-conscious consumers are in search of nutritious and convenient food item which can be best suited in their busy life. The vegetarianism is the key for the search of such food which resembles the meat in respect of nutrition and sensory characters, but not of animal origin and contains vegetable or its modified form, this is the point when meat analog evolved out and gets shape. The consumers gets full satisfaction by consumption of meat analog due to its typical meaty texture, appearance and the flavor which are being imparted during the skilled production of meat analog. The supplement of protein in vegetarian diet through meat alike food can be fulfilled by incorporating protein-rich vegetative food grade materials in meat analog and by adopting proper technological process which can promote the proper fabrication of meat analog with acceptable meat like texture, appearance, flavor, etc. The easily available vegetables, cereals, and pulses in India have great advantages and prospects to be used in food products and it can improve the nutritional and functional characters of the food items. The various form and functional characters of food items are available world over and attracts the meat technologists and the food processors to bring some innovativeness in meat analog and its presentation and marketability so that the acceptability of meat analog can be overgrown by the consumers.

  5. Digital and analog communication systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shanmugam, K. S.

    1979-01-01

    The book presents an introductory treatment of digital and analog communication systems with emphasis on digital systems. Attention is given to the following topics: systems and signal analysis, random signal theory, information and channel capacity, baseband data transmission, analog signal transmission, noise in analog communication systems, digital carrier modulation schemes, error control coding, and the digital transmission of analog signals.

  6. Potent 19-norvitamin D analogs for prostate and liver cancer therapy

    PubMed Central

    Kittaka, Atsushi; Yoshida, Akihiro; Chiang, Kun-Chun; Takano, Masashi; Sawada, Daisuke; Sakaki, Toshiyuki; Chen, Tai C

    2013-01-01

    The active form of vitamin D3, 1α,25(OH)2D3 or calcitriol, is known to inhibit the proliferation and invasiveness of many types of cancer cells, including prostate and liver cancer cells. These findings support the use of 1α,25(OH)2D3 for prostate and liver cancer therapy. However, 1α,25(OH)2D3 can cause hypercalcemia, thus, analogs of 1α,25(OH)2D3 that are less calcemic but exhibit potent antiproliferative activity would be attractive as therapeutic agents. We have developed 2α-functional group substituted 19-norvitamin D3 analogs with and without 14-epimerization. Among them, 2α- and 2β-(3-hydroxypropyl)-1α,25-dihydroxy-19-norvitamin D3 (MART-10 and -11, respectively) and 14-epi-2α- and 14-epi-2β-(3-hydroxypropyl)-1α,25-dihydroxy-19-norvitamin D3 (14-epi-MART-10 and 14-epi-MART-11, respectively) were found to be the most promising. In this review, we discuss the synthesis of this unique class of vitamin D analogs, the molecular mechanism of anticancer actions of vitamin D, and the biological evaluation of these analogs for potential application to the prevention and treatment of prostate and liver cancer. PMID:23157238

  7. Design of an Active Ultrastable Single-chain Insulin Analog

    PubMed Central

    Hua, Qing-xin; Nakagawa, Satoe H.; Jia, Wenhua; Huang, Kun; Phillips, Nelson B.; Hu, Shi-quan; Weiss, Michael A.

    2008-01-01

    Single-chain insulin (SCI) analogs provide insight into the inter-relation of hormone structure, function, and dynamics. Although compatible with wild-type structure, short connecting segments (<3 residues) prevent induced fit upon receptor binding and so are essentially without biological activity. Substantial but incomplete activity can be regained with increasing linker length. Here, we describe the design, structure, and function of a single-chain insulin analog (SCI-57) containing a 6-residue linker (GGGPRR). Native receptor-binding affinity (130 ± 8% relative to the wild type) is achieved as hindrance by the linker is offset by favorable substitutions in the insulin moiety. The thermodynamic stability of SCI-57 is markedly increased (ΔΔGu = 0.7 ± 0.1 kcal/mol relative to the corresponding two-chain analog and 1.9 ± 0.1 kcal/mol relative to wild-type insulin). Analysis of inter-residue nuclear Overhauser effects demonstrates that a native-like fold is maintained in solution. Surprisingly, the glycine-rich connecting segment folds against the insulin moiety: its central Pro contacts ValA3 at the edge of the hydrophobic core, whereas the final Arg extends the A1-A8 α-helix. Comparison between SCI-57 and its parent two-chain analog reveals striking enhancement of multiple native-like nuclear Overhauser effects within the tethered protein. These contacts are consistent with wild-type crystal structures but are ordinarily attenuated in NMR spectra of two-chain analogs, presumably due to conformational fluctuations. Linker-specific damping of fluctuations provides evidence for the intrinsic flexibility of an insulin monomer. In addition to their biophysical interest, ultrastable SCIs may enhance the safety and efficacy of insulin replacement therapy in the developing world. PMID:18332129

  8. The predictability of Iowa's hydroclimate through analog forecasts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rowe, Scott Thomas

    Iowa has long been affected by periods characterized by extreme drought and flood. In 2008, Cedar Rapids, Iowa was devastated by a record flood with damages around 3 billion. Several years later, Iowa was affected by severe drought in 2012, causing upwards of 30 billion in damages and losses across the United States. These climatic regimes can quickly transition from one regime to another, as was observed in the June 2013 major floods to the late summer 2013 severe drought across eastern Iowa. Though it is not possible to prevent a natural disaster from occurring, we explore how predictable these events are by using forecast models and analogs. Iowa's climate records are analyzed from 1950 to 2012 to determine if there are specific surface and upper-air pressure patterns linked to climate regimes (i.e., cold/hot and dry/wet conditions for a given month). We found that opposing climate regimes in Iowa have reversed anomalies in certain geographical regions of the northern hemisphere. These defined patterns and waves suggested to us that it could be possible to forecast extreme temperature and precipitation periods over Iowa if given a skillful forecast system. We examined the CMC, COLA, and GFDL models within the National Multi-Model Ensemble suite to create analog forecasts based on either surface or upper-air pressure forecasts. The verification results show that some analogs have predictability skill at the 0.5-month lead time exceeding random chance, but our overall confidence in the analog forecasts is not high enough to allow us to issue statewide categorical temperature and precipitation climate forecasts.

  9. Hydraulic Capacitor Analogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baser, Mustafa

    2007-01-01

    Students have difficulties in physics because of the abstract nature of concepts and principles. One of the effective methods for overcoming students' difficulties is the use of analogies to visualize abstract concepts to promote conceptual understanding. According to Iding, analogies are consistent with the tenets of constructivist learning…

  10. Analog pulse processor

    DOEpatents

    Wessendorf, Kurt O.; Kemper, Dale A.

    2003-06-03

    A very low power analog pulse processing system implemented as an ASIC useful for processing signals from radiation detectors, among other things. The system incorporates the functions of a charge sensitive amplifier, a shaping amplifier, a peak sample and hold circuit, and, optionally, an analog to digital converter and associated drivers.

  11. Are Scientific Analogies Metaphors?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-02-01

    attraction is certainly familiar, but its rules are unfortunately unclear; so this analogy does not tell the student precisely what to map from the...seriously. The rules of analogical mappings are such that, unless there is a principled reason to exempt a given predicate, it must be mapped if it belongs...contributes to their richness, for no possible mapping need be ruled out. Mutually contradictory inferences can co-exist. These analogies derive much

  12. Analogy Just Looks Like High Level Perception: Why a Domain-General Approach to Analogical Mapping is Right

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-01-01

    rerepresentation processes) will be able to use analogy better than those who have not. There is some psychological evidence for this gentrification of knowledge... useful as a technical proposal. We focus on five issues: (1) how perception relates to analogy, (2) how flexibility arises in analogical processing, (3...whether analogy is a domain-general process, (4) how should micro-worlds be used in the study of analogy, and (5) how best to assess the psychological

  13. Analogical reasoning in children with specific language impairment: Evidence from a scene analogy task.

    PubMed

    Krzemien, Magali; Jemel, Boutheina; Maillart, Christelle

    2017-01-01

    Analogical reasoning is a human ability that maps systems of relations. It develops along with relational knowledge, working memory and executive functions such as inhibition. It also maintains a mutual influence on language development. Some authors have taken a greater interest in the analogical reasoning ability of children with language disorders, specifically those with specific language impairment (SLI). These children apparently have weaker analogical reasoning abilities than their aged-matched peers without language disorders. Following cognitive theories of language acquisition, this deficit could be one of the causes of language disorders in SLI, especially those concerning productivity. To confirm this deficit and its link to language disorders, we use a scene analogy task to evaluate the analogical performance of SLI children and compare them to controls of the same age and linguistic abilities. Results show that children with SLI perform worse than age-matched peers, but similar to language-matched peers. They are more influenced by increased task difficulty. The association between language disorders and analogical reasoning in SLI can be confirmed. The hypothesis of limited processing capacity in SLI is also being considered.

  14. Kidney sales and the analogy with dangerous employment.

    PubMed

    Malmqvist, Erik

    2015-06-01

    Proponents of permitting living kidney sales often argue as follows. Many jobs involve significant risks; people are and should be free to take these risks in exchange for money; the risks involved in giving up a kidney are no greater than the risks involved in acceptable hazardous jobs; so people should be free to give up a kidney for money, too. This paper examines this frequently invoked but rarely analysed analogy. Two objections are raised. First, it is far from clear that kidney sales and dangerous jobs involve comparable risks on an appropriately broad comparison. Second, and more importantly, even if they do involve comparable risks it does not follow that kidney sales must be permitted because dangerous jobs are. The analogy assumes that kidney sales are banned for paternalistic reasons. But there may be other, non-paternalistic reasons for the ban. And paternalists, too, can consistently defend the ban even if kidney sales are no riskier than occupations that they find acceptable. Soft paternalists may want to protect would-be vendors from harms that they have not voluntarily chosen. Egalitarian hard paternalists may want to protect already badly off vendors from further worsening their situation. For neither species of paternalist is the size of the risk prevented decisive. I conclude that the analogy with dangerous jobs, while rhetorically powerful, pulls little real argumentative weight. Future debates on living kidney sales should therefore proceed without it.

  15. Science Teachers' Analogical Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mozzer, Nilmara Braga; Justi, Rosária

    2013-01-01

    Analogies can play a relevant role in students' learning. However, for the effective use of analogies, teachers should not only have a well-prepared repertoire of validated analogies, which could serve as bridges between the students' prior knowledge and the scientific knowledge they desire them to understand, but also know how to…

  16. Architecture of PFC supports analogy, but PFC is not an analogy machine.

    PubMed

    Speed, Ann

    2010-06-01

    In the preceding discussion paper, I proposed a theory of prefrontal cortical organization that was fundamentally intended to address the question: How does prefrontal cortex (PFC) support the various functions for which it seems to be selectively recruited? In so doing, I chose to focus on a particular function, analogy, that seems to have been largely ignored in the theoretical treatments of PFC, but that does underlie many other cognitive functions (Hofstadter, 2001 ; Holyoak & Thagard, 1997 ). At its core, this paper was intended to use analogy as a foundation for exploring one possibility for prefrontal function in general, although it is easy to see how the analogy-specific interpretation arises (as in the comment by Ibáñez). In an attempt to address this more foundational question, this response will step away from analogy as a focus, and will address first the various comments from the perspective of the initial motivation for developing this theory, and then specific issues raised by the commentators.

  17. All-optical analog comparator.

    PubMed

    Li, Pu; Yi, Xiaogang; Liu, Xianglian; Zhao, Dongliang; Zhao, Yongpeng; Wang, Yuncai

    2016-08-23

    An analog comparator is one of the core units in all-optical analog-to-digital conversion (AO-ADC) systems, which digitizes different amplitude levels into two levels of logical '1' or '0' by comparing with a defined decision threshold. Although various outstanding photonic ADC approaches have been reported, almost all of them necessitate an electrical comparator to carry out this binarization. The use of an electrical comparator is in contradiction to the aim of developing all-optical devices. In this work, we propose a new concept of an all-optical analog comparator and numerically demonstrate an implementation based on a quarter-wavelength-shifted distributed feedback laser diode (QWS DFB-LD) with multiple quantum well (MQW) structures. Our results show that the all-optical comparator is very well suited for true AO-ADCs, enabling the whole digital conversion from an analog optical signal (continuous-time signal or discrete pulse signal) to a binary representation totally in the optical domain. In particular, this all-optical analog comparator possesses a low threshold power (several mW), high extinction ratio (up to 40 dB), fast operation rate (of the order of tens of Gb/s) and a step-like transfer function.

  18. Synthetic Analogs of Phospholipid Metabolites as Antimalarials.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-07-01

    phosphatidic acid analogs containing ether and phosphonate groups; completely non-hydrolyzable lecithin analogs containing phosphinate and ether groups...The phosphatidic acid and lecithin target compounds were successfully synthesized and submitted, together with a number of intermediates. A model of a... Phosphatidic acid analogs ......................... 5 Z.Z Lecithin Analogs .................................. 6 2.3 Analogs of Cytidine Diphosphate

  19. Students' Pre- and Post-Teaching Analogical Reasoning when They Draw Their Analogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mozzer, Nilmara Braga; Justi, Rosaria

    2012-01-01

    Analogies are parts of human thought. From them, we can acquire new knowledge or change that which already exists in our cognitive structure. In this sense, understanding the analogical reasoning process becomes an essential condition to understand how we learn. Despite the importance of such an understanding, there is no general agreement in…

  20. Nocturnal Hypoglycemia: Answering the Challenge With Long-acting Insulin Analogs

    PubMed Central

    Brunton, Stephen A.

    2007-01-01

    Background Nocturnal hypoglycemia may be the most common type of hypoglycemia in individuals with diabetes using insulin and is particularly worrisome because it often goes undetected and may lead to unconsciousness and even death in severe cases. Objectives The prevalence, causes, and consequences of nocturnal hypoglycemia as well as detection and prevention strategies are reviewed, including the use of long-acting insulin analogs, which offer more physiologic and predictable time-action profiles than traditional human basal insulin. Data Sources A total of 307 publications (151 PubMed; 104 Adis; 52 BIOSIS) were reviewed. Review Methods Relevant trials were found by searching for “(detemir OR glargine) AND nocturnal AND (hypoglycemia OR hypoglycaemia) AND diabetes.” To capture trials that may not have specified “nocturnal” in the title or abstract text but still reported nocturnal hypoglycemia data, a supplemental search of PubMed using “(detemir OR glargine) AND (nocturnal OR hypoglycemia OR hypoglycaemia) AND diabetes” was undertaken. Results A review of these trials found that patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus have a lower risk for nocturnal hypoglycemia when receiving long-acting insulin analogs (insulin detemir or insulin glargine), provided that glycemic control is comparable to that provided by traditional human basal insulin. Long-acting insulin analogs may be the best option to provide basal insulin coverage in patients who do not choose or require continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. Conclusions Randomized clinical trials suggest that the long-acting insulin analogs are associated with a lower risk for nocturnal hypoglycemia than neutral protamine Hagedorn without sacrificing glycemic control. PMID:17955093

  1. Analogies Between Colloidal Sedimentation and Turbulent Convection at High Prandtl Numbers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tong, P.; Ackerson, B. J.

    1999-01-01

    A new set of coarse-grained equations of motion is proposed to describe concentration and velocity fluctuations in a dilute sedimenting suspension of non-Brownian particles. With these equations, colloidal sedimentation is found to be analogous to turbulent convection at high Prandtl numbers. Using Kraichnan's mixing-length theory, we obtain scaling relations for the diffusive dissipation length delta(sub theta), the velocity variance delta u, and the concentration variance delta phi. The obtained scaling laws over varying particle radius alpha and volume fraction phi(sub ) are in excellent agreement with the recent experiment by Segre, Herbolzheimer, and Chaikin. The analogy between colloidal sedimentation and turbulent convection gives a simple interpretation for the existence of a velocity cut-off length, which prevents hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients from being divergent. It also provides a coherent framework for the study of sedimentation dynamics in different colloidal systems.

  2. All-optical analog comparator

    PubMed Central

    Li, Pu; Yi, Xiaogang; Liu, Xianglian; Zhao, Dongliang; Zhao, Yongpeng; Wang, Yuncai

    2016-01-01

    An analog comparator is one of the core units in all-optical analog-to-digital conversion (AO-ADC) systems, which digitizes different amplitude levels into two levels of logical ‘1’ or ‘0’ by comparing with a defined decision threshold. Although various outstanding photonic ADC approaches have been reported, almost all of them necessitate an electrical comparator to carry out this binarization. The use of an electrical comparator is in contradiction to the aim of developing all-optical devices. In this work, we propose a new concept of an all-optical analog comparator and numerically demonstrate an implementation based on a quarter-wavelength-shifted distributed feedback laser diode (QWS DFB-LD) with multiple quantum well (MQW) structures. Our results show that the all-optical comparator is very well suited for true AO-ADCs, enabling the whole digital conversion from an analog optical signal (continuous-time signal or discrete pulse signal) to a binary representation totally in the optical domain. In particular, this all-optical analog comparator possesses a low threshold power (several mW), high extinction ratio (up to 40 dB), fast operation rate (of the order of tens of Gb/s) and a step-like transfer function. PMID:27550874

  3. All-optical analog comparator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Pu; Yi, Xiaogang; Liu, Xianglian; Zhao, Dongliang; Zhao, Yongpeng; Wang, Yuncai

    2016-08-01

    An analog comparator is one of the core units in all-optical analog-to-digital conversion (AO-ADC) systems, which digitizes different amplitude levels into two levels of logical ‘1’ or ‘0’ by comparing with a defined decision threshold. Although various outstanding photonic ADC approaches have been reported, almost all of them necessitate an electrical comparator to carry out this binarization. The use of an electrical comparator is in contradiction to the aim of developing all-optical devices. In this work, we propose a new concept of an all-optical analog comparator and numerically demonstrate an implementation based on a quarter-wavelength-shifted distributed feedback laser diode (QWS DFB-LD) with multiple quantum well (MQW) structures. Our results show that the all-optical comparator is very well suited for true AO-ADCs, enabling the whole digital conversion from an analog optical signal (continuous-time signal or discrete pulse signal) to a binary representation totally in the optical domain. In particular, this all-optical analog comparator possesses a low threshold power (several mW), high extinction ratio (up to 40 dB), fast operation rate (of the order of tens of Gb/s) and a step-like transfer function.

  4. Resistive RAMs as analog trimming elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aziza, H.; Perez, A.; Portal, J. M.

    2018-04-01

    This work investigates the use of Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) as an analog trimming device. The analog storage feature of the RRAM cell is evaluated and the ability of the RRAM to hold several resistance states is exploited to propose analog trim elements. To modulate the memory cell resistance, a series of short programming pulses are applied across the RRAM cell allowing a fine calibration of the RRAM resistance. The RRAM non volatility feature makes the analog device powers up already calibrated for the system in which the analog trimmed structure is embedded. To validate the concept, a test structure consisting of a voltage reference is evaluated.

  5. Novel epigallocatechin gallate analogs as potential anticancer agents: a patent review (2009 – present)

    PubMed Central

    Landis-Piwowar, Kristin; Chen, Di; Foldes, Robert; Chan, Tak-Hang; Dou, Qing Ping

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Over the past three years numerous patents and patent applications have been published relating to scientific advances in the use of the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) (the most abundant, and bioactive compound in green tea) and its analogs as anticancer agents. EGCG affects multiple molecular targets involved in cancer cell proliferation and survival; however, polyphenolic catechins, such as EGCG, generally exhibit poor oral bioavailability. Since the anticancer activity of polyphenols largely depends on their susceptibility to biotransformation reactions, numerous EGCG derivatives, analogs and prodrugs have been designed to improve the stability, bioavailability and anticancer potency of the native compound. Areas covered This review focuses on the applications of EGCG and its analogs, derivatives and prodrugs in the prevention and treatment of human cancers. A comprehensive description of patents related to EGCG and its derivatives, analogs and prodrugs and their uses as anticancer agents is included. Expert opinion EGCG targets multiple essential survival proteins and pathways in human cancer cells. Because it is unstable physiologically, numerous alterations to the EGCG molecule have been patented, either to improve the integrity of the native compound or to generate a more stable yet similarly efficacious molecule. EGCG and its derivatives, analogs and prodrugs could be developed into future drugs for chemoprevention, chemosensitization, radiosensitization and/or cancer interception. PMID:23230990

  6. Prevention of ER-Negative Breast Cancer

    PubMed Central

    Li, Yuxin

    2014-01-01

    The successful demonstration that the selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) tamoxifen and raloxifene reduce the risk of breast cancer has stimulated great interest in using drugs to prevent breast cancer in high-risk women. In addition, recent results from breast cancer treatment trials suggest that aromatase inhibitors may be even more effective at preventing breast cancer than are SERMs. However, while SERMs and aromatase inhibitors do prevent the development of many estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers, these drugs do not prevent the development of ER-negative breast cancer. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify agents that can prevent ER-negative breast cancer. We have studied the cancer preventative activity of several classes of drugs for their ability to prevent ER-negative breast cancer in preclinical models. Results from these studies demonstrate that rexinoids (analogs of retinoids that bind and activate RXR receptors), tyrosine kinase inhibitors (such as EGFR inhibitors and dual kinase inhibitors that block EGFR and HER2/neu signaling), and cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors all prevent ER-negative breast cancer in transgenic mice that develop ER-negative breast cancer. Other promising agents now under investigation include vitamin D and vitamin D analogs, drugs that activate PPAR-gamma nuclear receptors, and statins. Many of these agents are now being tested in early phase cancer prevention clinical trials to determine whether they will show activity in breast tissue and whether they are safe for use in high-risk women without breast cancer. The current status of these studies will be reviewed. It is anticipated that in the future, drugs that effectively prevent ER-negative breast cancer will be used in combination with hormonal agents such SERMs or aromatase inhibitors to prevent all forms of breast cancer. PMID:19213564

  7. Lesson learned from nature for the development of novel anti-cancer agents: implication of isoflavone, curcumin, and their synthetic analogs.

    PubMed

    Sarkar, Fazlul H; Li, Yiwei; Wang, Zhiwei; Padhye, Subhash

    2010-06-01

    In recent years, naturally occurring dietary compounds have received greater attention in the field of cancer prevention and treatment research. Among them, isoflavone genistein and curcumin are very promising anti-cancer agents because of their non-toxic and potent anti-cancer properties. However, it is important to note that the low water solubility, poor in vivo bioavailability and unacceptable pharmacokinetic profile of these natural compounds limit their efficacy as anti-cancer agents for solid tumors. Therefore, the development of synthetic analogs of isoflavone and curcumin based on the structure-activity assay, and the encapsulation of isoflavone and curcumin with liposome or nanoparticle for enhancing the anti-tumor activity of these natural agents, is an exciting area of research. Emerging in vitro and in vivo studies clearly suggest that these analogs and formulations of natural compounds could be much more potent for the prevention and/or treatment of various cancers. In this review article, we will summarize the current knowledge regarding the anti-cancer effect of natural compounds and their analogs, the regulation of cell signaling by these agents, and the structure-activity relationship for better design of novel anti-cancer agents, which could open newer avenues for the prevention of tumor progression and/or treatment of human malignancies.

  8. Lesson Learned from Nature for the Development of Novel Anti-Cancer Agents: Implication of Isoflavone, Curcumin, and their Synthetic Analogs

    PubMed Central

    Sarkar, Fazlul H.; Li, Yiwei; Wang, Zhiwei; Padhye, Subhash

    2011-01-01

    In recent years, naturally occurring dietary compounds have received greater attention in the field of cancer prevention and treatment research. Among them, isoflavone genistein and curcumin are very promising anti-cancer agents because of their non-toxic and potent anti-cancer properties. However, it is important to note that the low water solubility, poor in vivo bioavailability and unacceptable pharmacokinetic profile of these natural compounds limit their efficacy as anti-cancer agents for solid tumors. Therefore, the development of synthetic analogs of isoflavone and curcumin based on the structure-activity assay, and the encapsulation of isoflavone and curcumin with liposome or nanoparticle for enhancing the anti-tumor activity of these natural agents, is an exciting area of research. Emerging in vitro and in vivo studies clearly suggest that these analogs and formulations of natural compounds could be much more potent for the prevention and/or treatment of various cancers. In this review article, we will summarize the current knowledge regarding the anti-cancer effect of natural compounds and their analogs, the regulation of cell signaling by these agents, and the structure-activity relationship for better design of novel anti-cancer agents, which could open newer avenues for the prevention of tumor progression and/or treatment of human malignancies. PMID:20345353

  9. Electrical Circuits and Water Analogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Frederick A.; Wilson, Jerry D.

    1974-01-01

    Briefly describes water analogies for electrical circuits and presents plans for the construction of apparatus to demonstrate these analogies. Demonstrations include series circuits, parallel circuits, and capacitors. (GS)

  10. Inviting Argument by Analogy: Analogical-Mapping-Based Comparison Activities as a Scaffold for Small-Group Argumentation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Emig, Brandon R.; McDonald, Scott; Zembal-Saul, Carla; Strauss, Susan G.

    2014-01-01

    This study invited small groups to make several arguments by analogy about simple machines. Groups were first provided training on analogical (structure) mapping and were then invited to use analogical mapping as a scaffold to make arguments. In making these arguments, groups were asked to consider three simple machines: two machines that they had…

  11. Challenges in Using Analogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Shih-Yin; Singh, Chandralekha

    2011-01-01

    Learning physics requires understanding the applicability of fundamental principles in a variety of contexts that share deep features. One way to help students learn physics is via analogical reasoning. Students can be taught to make an analogy between situations that are more familiar or easier to understand and another situation where the same…

  12. Working memory predicts children's analogical reasoning.

    PubMed

    Simms, Nina K; Frausel, Rebecca R; Richland, Lindsey E

    2018-02-01

    Analogical reasoning is the cognitive skill of drawing relationships between representations, often between prior knowledge and new representations, that allows for bootstrapping cognitive and language development. Analogical reasoning proficiency develops substantially during childhood, although the mechanisms underlying this development have been debated, with developing cognitive resources as one proposed mechanism. We explored the role of executive function (EF) in supporting children's analogical reasoning development, with the goal of determining whether predicted aspects of EF were related to analogical development at the level of individual differences. We assessed 5- to 11-year-old children's working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility using measures from the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognition battery. Individual differences in children's working memory best predicted performance on an analogical mapping task, even when controlling for age, suggesting a fundamental interrelationship between analogical reasoning and working memory development. These findings underscore the need to consider cognitive capacities in comprehensive theories of children's reasoning development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Optical analog-to-digital converter

    DOEpatents

    Vawter, G Allen [Corrales, NM; Raring, James [Goleta, CA; Skogen, Erik J [Albuquerque, NM

    2009-07-21

    An optical analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is disclosed which converts an input optical analog signal to an output optical digital signal at a sampling rate defined by a sampling optical signal. Each bit of the digital representation is separately determined using an optical waveguide interferometer and an optical thresholding element. The interferometer uses the optical analog signal and the sampling optical signal to generate a sinusoidally-varying output signal using cross-phase-modulation (XPM) or a photocurrent generated from the optical analog signal. The sinusoidally-varying output signal is then digitized by the thresholding element, which includes a saturable absorber or at least one semiconductor optical amplifier, to form the optical digital signal which can be output either in parallel or serially.

  14. Basic Electricity--a Novel Analogy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grant, Richard

    1996-01-01

    Uses the analogy of water flow to introduce concepts in basic electricity. Presents a demonstration that uses this analogy to help students grasp the relationship between current, voltage, and resistance. (JRH)

  15. Analogies and the 5E Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orgill, Mary Kay; Thomas, Megan

    2007-01-01

    Science classes are full of abstract or challenging concepts that are easier to understand if an analogy is used to illustrate the points. Effective analogies motivate students, clarify students' thinking, help students overcome misconceptions, and give students ways to visualize abstract concepts. When they are used appropriately, analogies can…

  16. Is the Link from Working Memory to Analogy Causal? No Analogy Improvements following Working Memory Training Gains

    PubMed Central

    Richey, J. Elizabeth; Phillips, Jeffrey S.; Schunn, Christian D.; Schneider, Walter

    2014-01-01

    Analogical reasoning has been hypothesized to critically depend upon working memory through correlational data [1], but less work has tested this relationship through experimental manipulation [2]. An opportunity for examining the connection between working memory and analogical reasoning has emerged from the growing, although somewhat controversial, body of literature suggests complex working memory training can sometimes lead to working memory improvements that transfer to novel working memory tasks. This study investigated whether working memory improvements, if replicated, would increase analogical reasoning ability. We assessed participants’ performance on verbal and visual analogy tasks after a complex working memory training program incorporating verbal and spatial tasks [3], [4]. Participants’ improvements on the working memory training tasks transferred to other short-term and working memory tasks, supporting the possibility of broad effects of working memory training. However, we found no effects on analogical reasoning. We propose several possible explanations for the lack of an impact of working memory improvements on analogical reasoning. PMID:25188356

  17. Analogies: Explanatory Tools in Web-Based Science Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glynn, Shawn M.; Taasoobshirazi, Gita; Fowler, Shawn

    2007-01-01

    This article helps designers of Web-based science instruction construct analogies that are as effective as those used in classrooms by exemplary science teachers. First, the authors explain what analogies are, how analogies foster learning, and what form analogies should take. Second, they discuss science teachers' use of analogies. Third, they…

  18. NASA Cribs: Human Exploration Research Analog

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-07-20

    Follow along as interns at NASA’s Johnson Space Center show you around the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA), a mission simulation environment located onsite at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. HERA is a unique three-story habitat designed to serve as an analog for isolation, confinement, and remote conditions in exploration scenarios. This video gives a tour of where crew members live, work, sleep, and eat during the analog missions. Find out more about HERA mission activities: https://www.nasa.gov/analogs/hera Find out how to be a HERA crew member: https://www.nasa.gov/analogs/hera/want-to-participate For more on NASA internships: https://intern.nasa.gov/ For Johnson Space Center specific internships: https://pathways.jsc.nasa.gov/ https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/education/interns/index.html HD download link: https://archive.org/details/jsc2017m000730_NASA-Cribs-Human-Exploration-Research-Analog --------------------------------- FOLLOW JOHNSON SPACE CENTER INTERNS! Facebook: @NASA.JSC.Students https://www.facebook.com/NASA.JSC.Students/ Instagram: @nasajscstudents https://www.instagram.com/nasajscstudents/ Twitter: @NASAJSCStudents https://twitter.com/nasajscstudents

  19. FGF growth factor analogs

    DOEpatents

    Zamora, Paul O [Gaithersburg, MD; Pena, Louis A [Poquott, NY; Lin, Xinhua [Plainview, NY; Takahashi, Kazuyuki [Germantown, MD

    2012-07-24

    The present invention provides a fibroblast growth factor heparin-binding analog of the formula: ##STR00001## where R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, X, Y and Z are as defined, pharmaceutical compositions, coating compositions and medical devices including the fibroblast growth factor heparin-binding analog of the foregoing formula, and methods and uses thereof.

  20. The Robustness of Acoustic Analogies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Freund, J. B.; Lele, S. K.; Wei, M.

    2004-01-01

    Acoustic analogies for the prediction of flow noise are exact rearrangements of the flow equations N(right arrow q) = 0 into a nominal sound source S(right arrow q) and sound propagation operator L such that L(right arrow q) = S(right arrow q). In practice, the sound source is typically modeled and the propagation operator inverted to make predictions. Since the rearrangement is exact, any sufficiently accurate model of the source will yield the correct sound, so other factors must determine the merits of any particular formulation. Using data from a two-dimensional mixing layer direct numerical simulation (DNS), we evaluate the robustness of two analogy formulations to different errors intentionally introduced into the source. The motivation is that since S can not be perfectly modeled, analogies that are less sensitive to errors in S are preferable. Our assessment is made within the framework of Goldstein's generalized acoustic analogy, in which different choices of a base flow used in constructing L give different sources S and thus different analogies. A uniform base flow yields a Lighthill-like analogy, which we evaluate against a formulation in which the base flow is the actual mean flow of the DNS. The more complex mean flow formulation is found to be significantly more robust to errors in the energetic turbulent fluctuations, but its advantage is less pronounced when errors are made in the smaller scales.

  1. Terrestrial Analogs to Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Farr, T. G.; Arcone, S.; Arvidson, R. W.; Baker, V.; Barlow, N. G.; Beaty, D.; Bell, M. S.; Blankenship, D. D.; Bridges, N.; Briggs, G.; Bulmer, M.; Carsey, F.; Clifford, S. M.; Craddock, R. A.; Dickerson, P. W.; Duxbury, N.; Galford, G. L.; Garvin, J.; Grant, J.; Green, J. R.; Gregg, T. K. P.; Guinness, E.; Hansen, V. L.; Hecht, M. H.; Holt, J.; Howard, A.; Keszthelyi, L. P.; Lee, P.; Lanagan, P. D.; Lentz, R. C. F.; Leverington, D. W.; Marinangeli, L.; Moersch, J. E.; Morris-Smith, P. A.; Mouginis-Mark, P.; Olhoeft, G. R.; Ori, G. G.; Paillou, P.; Reilly, J. F., II; Rice, J. W., Jr.; Robinson, C. A.; Sheridan, M.; Snook, K.; Thomson, B. J.; Watson, K.; Williams, K.; Yoshikawa, K.

    2002-08-01

    It is well recognized that interpretations of Mars must begin with the Earth as a reference. The most successful comparisons have focused on understanding geologic processes on the Earth well enough to extrapolate to Mars' environment. Several facets of terrestrial analog studies have been pursued and are continuing. These studies include field workshops, characterization of terrestrial analog sites, instrument tests, laboratory measurements (including analysis of Martian meteorites), and computer and laboratory modeling. The combination of all these activities allows scientists to constrain the processes operating in specific terrestrial environments and extrapolate how similar processes could affect Mars. The Terrestrial Analogs for Mars Community Panel has considered the following two key questions: (1) How do terrestrial analog studies tie in to the Mars Exploration Payload Assessment Group science questions about life, past climate, and geologic evolution of Mars, and (2) How can future instrumentation be used to address these questions. The panel has considered the issues of data collection, value of field workshops, data archiving, laboratory measurements and modeling, human exploration issues, association with other areas of solar system exploration, and education and public outreach activities.

  2. Fostering Multilateral Involvement in Analog Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cromwell, Ronita L.

    2015-01-01

    International collaboration in space flight research is an effective means for conducting investigations and utilizing limited resources to the fullest extent. Through these multilateral collaborations mutual research questions can be investigated and resources contributed by each international partner to maximize the scientific benefits to all parties. Recently the international partners embraced this approach to initiate collaborations in ground-based space flight analog environments. In 2011, the International Analog Research Working Group was established, and later named the International Human Space Flight Analog Research Coordination Group (HANA). Among the goals of this working group are to 1) establish a framework to coordinate research campaigns, as appropriate, to minimize duplication of effort and enhance synergy; 2) define what analogs are best to use for collaborative interests; and 3) facilitate interaction between discipline experts in order to have the full benefit of international expertise. To accomplish these goals, HANA is currently engaged in developing international research campaigns in ground-based analogs. Plans are being made for an international solicitation for proposals to address research of common interest to all international partners. This solicitation with identify an analog environment that will best accommodate the types of investigations requested. Once selected, studies will be integrated into a campaign and implemented at the analog site. Through these combined efforts, research beneficial to all partners will be conducted efficiently to further address human risks of space exploration.

  3. Not All Analogies Are Created Equal: Associative and Categorical Analogy Processing following Brain Damage

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schmidt, Gwenda L.; Cardillo, Eileen R.; Kranjec, Alexander; Lehet, Matthew; Widick, Page; Chatterjee, Anjan

    2012-01-01

    Current research on analogy processing assumes that different conceptual relations are treated similarly. However, just as words and concepts are related in distinct ways, different kinds of analogies may employ distinct types of relationships. An important distinction in how words are related is the difference between associative (dog-bone) and…

  4. Hemodynamic actions and mechanisms of systemically administered α-MSH analogs in mice.

    PubMed

    Rinne, Petteri; Tikka, Sanna; Mäkelä, Satu; Streng, Tomi; Savontaus, Eriika

    2012-11-01

    α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) regulates important physiological functions including energy homeostasis and inflammation. Potent analogs of α-MSH, [Nle(4), D-Phe(7)]-α-MSH (NDP-α-MSH) and melanotan-II (MT-II), are widely used in pharmacological studies, but the hemodynamic effects associated with their systemic administration have not been thoroughly examined. Therefore, we investigated the hemodynamic actions of these compounds in anesthetized and conscious C57Bl/6N mice using peripheral routes of administration. NDP-α-MSH and MT-II induced mild changes in blood pressure and heart rate in anesthetized mice compared to the effects observed in conscious mice, suggesting that anesthesia distorts the hemodynamic actions of α-MSH analogs. In conscious mice, NDP-α-MSH and MT-II increased blood pressure and heart rate in a dose-dependent manner, but the tachycardic effect was more prominent than the pressor effect. Pretreatment with the melanocortin (MC) 3/4 receptor antagonist SHU9119 abolished these hemodynamic effects. Furthermore, the blockade of β(1)-adrenoceptors with metoprolol prevented the pressor effect and partly the tachycardic action of α-MSH analogs, while the ganglionic blocker hexamethonium abrogated completely the difference in heart rate between vehicle and α-MSH treatments. These findings suggest that the pressor effect is primarily caused by augmentation of cardiac sympathetic activity, but the tachycardic effect seems to involve withdrawal of vagal tone in addition to sympathetic activation. In conclusion, the present results indicate that systemic administration of α-MSH analogs elevates blood pressure and heart rate via activation of MC(3/4) receptor pathways. These effects and the consequent increase in cardiac workload should be taken into account when using α-MSH analogs via peripheral routes of administration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Enhancing programming logic thinking using analogy mapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sukamto, R. A.; Megasari, R.

    2018-05-01

    Programming logic thinking is the most important competence for computer science students. However, programming is one of the difficult subject in computer science program. This paper reports our work about enhancing students' programming logic thinking using Analogy Mapping for basic programming subject. Analogy Mapping is a computer application which converts source code into analogies images. This research used time series evaluation and the result showed that Analogy Mapping can enhance students' programming logic thinking.

  6. Gemini analogs of vitamin D.

    PubMed

    Pazos, Gonzalo; Rivadulla, Marcos L; Pérez-García, Xenxo; Gandara, Zoila; Pérez, Manuel

    2014-01-01

    The Gemini analogs are the last significant contribution to the family of vitamin D derivatives in medicine, for the treatment of cancer. The first Gemini analog was characterized by two symmetric side chains at C-20. Following numerous modifications, the most active analog bears a C-23-triple bond, C-26, 27- hexafluoro substituents on one side chain and a terminal trideuteromethylhydroxy group on the other side chain. This progression was possible due to improvements in the synthetic methods for the preparation of these derivatives, which allowed for increasing molecular complexity and complete diastereoselective control at C-20 and the substituted sidechains.

  7. Glucagon-like peptide-1 analogs against antipsychotic-induced weight gain: potential physiological benefits

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Antipsychotic-induced weight gain constitutes a major unresolved clinical problem which may ultimately be associated with reducing life expectancy by 25 years. Overweight is associated with brain deterioration, cognitive decline and poor quality of life, factors which are already compromised in normal weight patients with schizophrenia. Here we outline the current strategies against antipsychotic-induced weight gain, and we describe peripheral and cerebral effects of the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Moreover, we account for similarities in brain changes between schizophrenia and overweight patients. Discussion Current interventions against antipsychotic-induced weight gain do not facilitate a substantial and lasting weight loss. GLP-1 analogs used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes are associated with significant and sustained weight loss in overweight patients. Potential effects of treating schizophrenia patients with antipsychotic-induced weight gain with GLP-1 analogs are discussed. Conclusions We propose that adjunctive treatment with GLP-1 analogs may constitute a new avenue to treat and prevent metabolic and cerebral deficiencies in schizophrenia patients with antipsychotic-induced weight gain. Clinical research to support this idea is highly warranted. PMID:22891821

  8. Multiple Analogies for Complex Concepts: Antidotes for Analogy-Induced Misconception in Advanced Knowledge Acquisition. Technical Report No. 439.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spiro, Rand J.; And Others

    This report argues that there exists a pervasive tendency for analogies to contribute to the development of entrenched misconceptions in the form of reducing complex new knowledge to the core of a source analogy. The report presents a taxonomy of ways that simple analogy induces conceptual error and an alternative approach involving integrated…

  9. The Effect of Analogy-Based Teaching on Students' Achievement and Students' Views about Analogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Genc, Murat

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the analogy-based teaching on students' achievement and students' views about analogies. In this research, Solomon group design which is one of the experimental designs, was implemented. The sample of the research consists of 108 students in four 6th grade classes in Turkey. The achievement…

  10. A Systematic Evaluation of Analogs and Automated Read ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Read-across is a data gap filling technique widely used within category and analog approaches to predict a biological property for a data-poor (target) chemical using known information from similar (source analog) chemical(s). Potential source analogs are typically identified based on structural similarity. Although much guidance has been published for read-across, practical principles for the identification and evaluation of the scientific validity of source analogs remains lacking. This case study explores how well 3 structure descriptor sets (Pubchem, Chemotyper and MoSS) are able to identify analogs for read-across and predict Estrogen Receptor (ER) binding activity for a specific class of chemicals: hindered phenols. For each target chemical, analogs were selected using each descriptor set with two cut-offs: (1) Minimum Tanimoto similarity (range 0.1 - 0.9), and (2) Closest N analogs (range 1 - 10). Each target-analog pair was then evaluated for its agreement with measured ER binding and agonism. The analogs were subsequently filtered using: (1) physchem properties (LogKow & Molecular Volume), and (2) number of literature sources as a marker for the quality of the experimental data. A majority vote prediction was made for each target phenol by reading-across from the closest N analogs. The data set comprised 462 hindered phenols and 257 non-hindered phenols. The results demonstrate that: (1) The concordance in ER activity rises with increasing similarity,

  11. Matrix-addressed analog ferroelectric memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lemons, R. A.; Grogan, J. K.; Thompson, J. S.

    1980-08-01

    A matrix addressed analog memory which uses multiple ferroelectric domain walls to address columns of words, is demonstrated. It is shown that the analog information is stored as a pattern in the metallization on the surface of the crystal, making a read-only memory. The pattern is done photolithographically in a way compatible with the simultaneous fabrication of many devices. Attention is given to the performance results, noting that the advantage of the device is that analog information can be stored with a high density in a single mask step. Finally, it is shown that potential applications are in systems which require repetitive output from a limited vocabulary of spoken words.

  12. Conjecturing via Reconceived Classical Analogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Kyeong-Hwa; Sriraman, Bharath

    2011-01-01

    Analogical reasoning is believed to be an efficient means of problem solving and construction of knowledge during the search for and the analysis of new mathematical objects. However, there is growing concern that despite everyday usage, learners are unable to transfer analogical reasoning to learning situations. This study aims at facilitating…

  13. Treatment and prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia with PTH-CBD, a collagen-targeted parathyroid hormone analog, in a non-depilated mouse model.

    PubMed

    Katikaneni, Ranjitha; Ponnapakkam, Tulasi; Matsushita, Osamu; Sakon, Joshua; Gensure, Robert

    2014-01-01

    Alopecia is a psychologically devastating complication of chemotherapy for which there is currently no effective therapy. PTH-CBD is a collagen-targeted parathyroid hormone analog that has shown promise as a therapy for alopecia disorders. This study compared the efficacy of prophylactic versus therapeutic administration of PTH-CBD in chemotherapy-induced alopecia using a mouse model that mimics the cyclic chemotherapy dosing used clinically. C57BL/6J mice were treated with a single subcutaneous injection of PTH-CBD (320 mcg/kg) or vehicle control before or after hair loss developing from three courses of cyclophosphamide chemotherapy (50-150 mg/kg/week). Mice receiving chemotherapy alone developed hair loss and depigmentation over 6-12 months. Mice pretreated with PTH-CBD did not develop these changes and maintained a normal-appearing coat. Mice treated with PTH-CBD after development of hair loss showed a partial recovery. Observations of hair loss were confirmed quantitatively by gray scale analysis. Histological examination showed that in mice receiving chemotherapy alone, there were small, dystrophic hair follicles mostly in the catagen phase. Mice receiving PTH-CBD before chemotherapy showed a mix of normal-appearing telogen and anagen hair follicles with no evidence of dystrophy. Mice receiving PTH-CBD therapy after chemotherapy showed intermediate histological features. PTH-CBD was effective in both the prevention and the treatment of chemotherapy-induced alopecia in mice, but pretreatment appears to result in a better cosmetic outcome. PTH-CBD shows promise as an agent in the prevention of this complication of chemotherapy and improving the quality of life for cancer patients.

  14. Optical domain analog to digital conversion methods and apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Vawter, Gregory A

    2014-05-13

    Methods and apparatus for optical analog to digital conversion are disclosed. An optical signal is converted by mapping the optical analog signal onto a wavelength modulated optical beam, passing the mapped beam through interferometers to generate analog bit representation signals, and converting the analog bit representation signals into an optical digital signal. A photodiode receives an optical analog signal, a wavelength modulated laser coupled to the photodiode maps the optical analog signal to a wavelength modulated optical beam, interferometers produce an analog bit representation signal from the mapped wavelength modulated optical beam, and sample and threshold circuits corresponding to the interferometers produce a digital bit signal from the analog bit representation signal.

  15. Playing with a double-edged sword: Analogies in biochemistry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Orgill, Marykay

    Analogy pervades our everyday reasoning. No situation we encounter is exactly like a situation we have encountered previously, and our ability to learn and survive in the world is based on our ability to find similarities between past and present situations and use the knowledge we have gained from past situations to manage current situations. Analogies can be powerful teaching tools because they can make new material intelligible to students by comparing it to material that is already familiar. It is clear, though, that not all analogies are good and that not all good analogies are useful to all students. In this study, I have used textbook analysis, classroom observations, student interviews and instructor interviews to determine the role that analogies play in biochemistry learning. Analogies are an important teaching technique in biochemistry classes, being used more often in both biochemistry classes and textbooks than they are in high school chemistry classes and textbooks. Most biochemistry students like, pay particular attention to, and remember the analogies their instructors provide; and they use these analogies to understand, visualize, and recall information from class. Even though students like and use analogies, they do not understand what analogies are or the mechanism by which they improve learning. For the students, analogies are simply any teaching technique that eases understanding, visualization, or recall. Instructors, on the other hand, have a good understanding of what analogies are and of how they should be presented in class; but they do not use analogies as effectively as they should. They do not plan, explain or identify the limitations of the analogies they use in class. However, regardless of how effectively instructors present analogies in class, this study indicates that, in general, analogies are useful in promoting understanding, visualization, recall, and motivation in biochemistry students at all levels. They would be even more

  16. The Pennies-as-Electrons Analogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ashmann, Scott

    2009-01-01

    Everyday experiences familiarize students with the ways in which electricity is used, but often the underlying concepts remain a mystery. Teachers often use analogies to help students relate the flow of electrons to other common systems, but many times these analogies are incomplete and lead to more student misconceptions. However, the "pass the…

  17. Producing and Recognizing Analogical Relations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lipkens, Regina; Hayes, Steven C.

    2009-01-01

    Analogical reasoning is an important component of intelligent behavior, and a key test of any approach to human language and cognition. Only a limited amount of empirical work has been conducted from a behavior analytic point of view, most of that within Relational Frame Theory (RFT), which views analogy as a matter of deriving relations among…

  18. Anti-inflammatory effect of thalidomide dithiocarbamate and dithioate analogs.

    PubMed

    Talaat, Roba; El-Sayed, Waheba; Agwa, Hussein S; Gamal-Eldeen, Amira M; Moawia, Shaden; Zahran, Magdy A H

    2015-08-05

    Thalidomide has anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anti-angiogenic properties. It has been used to treat a variety of cancers and autoimmune diseases. This study aimed to characterize anti-inflammatory activities of novel thalidomide analogs by exploring their effects on splenocytes proliferation and macrophage functions and their antioxidant activity. MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxic effect of thalidomide analogs against splenocytes. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB-P65) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Nitric oxide (NO) was estimated by colorimetric assay. Antioxidant activity was examined by ORAC assay. Our results demonstrated that thalidomide dithioate analog 2 and thalidomide dithiocarbamate analog 4 produced a slight increase in splenocyte proliferation compared with thalidomide. Thalidomide dithiocarbamate analog 1 is a potent inhibitor of TNF-α production, whereas thalidomide dithiocarbamate analog 5 is a potent inhibitor of both TNF-α and NO. Analog 2 has a pronounced inhibitory effect on NF-κB-P65 production level. All thalidomide analogs showed prooxidant activity against hydroxyl (OH) radical. Analog 1 and thalidomide dithioate analog 3 have prooxidant activity against peroxyl (ROO) radical in relation to thalidomide. On the other hand, analog 4 has a potent scavenging capacity against peroxyl (ROO) radical compared with thalidomide. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that thalidomide analogs might have valuable anti-inflammatory activities with more pronounced effect than thalidomide itself. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. High-Threshold Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computation with Analog Quantum Error Correction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukui, Kosuke; Tomita, Akihisa; Okamoto, Atsushi; Fujii, Keisuke

    2018-04-01

    To implement fault-tolerant quantum computation with continuous variables, the Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill (GKP) qubit has been recognized as an important technological element. However, it is still challenging to experimentally generate the GKP qubit with the required squeezing level, 14.8 dB, of the existing fault-tolerant quantum computation. To reduce this requirement, we propose a high-threshold fault-tolerant quantum computation with GKP qubits using topologically protected measurement-based quantum computation with the surface code. By harnessing analog information contained in the GKP qubits, we apply analog quantum error correction to the surface code. Furthermore, we develop a method to prevent the squeezing level from decreasing during the construction of the large-scale cluster states for the topologically protected, measurement-based, quantum computation. We numerically show that the required squeezing level can be relaxed to less than 10 dB, which is within the reach of the current experimental technology. Hence, this work can considerably alleviate this experimental requirement and take a step closer to the realization of large-scale quantum computation.

  20. Piperazine-based nucleic acid analogs

    DOEpatents

    Schmidt, Jurgen; Silks, Louis A.; Michalczyk, Ryszard

    2005-01-11

    A novel nucleoside analog is disclosed which comprises a piperazine ring in the place of the ring ribose or deoxyribose sugar. Monomers utilizing a broad variety of nucleobases are disclosed, as well as oligomers comprising the monomers disclosed herein linked by a variety of linkages, including amide, phosphonamide, and sulfonamide linkages. A method of synthesizing the nucleoside analogs is also disclosed.

  1. Natural analog studies: Licensing perspective

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bradbury, J.W.

    1995-09-01

    This report describes the licensing perspective of the term {open_quotes}natural analog studies{close_quotes} as used in CFR Part 60. It describes the misunderstandings related to its definition which has become evident during discussions at the U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission meetings and tries to clarify the appropriate applications of natural analog studies to aspects of repository site characterization.

  2. Heat Flow vs. Cash Flow: A Banking Analogy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wynn, Charles M., Sr.

    1997-04-01

    An analogy is drawn between the withdrawal of money from an automated teller machine (ATM) and an exothermic chemical reaction. In the analogy the amount in an individual's account is regarded as the system and the money withdrawn is regarded as part of the surroundings. Diagrams are used to present the analogy. An analogy can be drawn also between a deposit into an account and an endothermic chemical reaction.

  3. Analog detection for cavity lifetime spectroscopy

    DOEpatents

    Zare, Richard N.; Harb, Charles C.; Paldus, Barbara A.; Spence, Thomas G.

    2001-05-15

    An analog detection system for determining a ring-down rate or decay rate 1/.tau. of an exponentially decaying ring-down beam issuing from a lifetime or ring-down cavity during a ring-down phase. Alternatively, the analog detection system determines a build-up rate of an exponentially growing beam issuing from the cavity during a ring-up phase. The analog system can be employed in continuous wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CW CRDS) and pulsed CRDS (P CRDS) arrangements utilizing any type of ring-down cavity including ring-cavities and linear cavities.

  4. Analog detection for cavity lifetime spectroscopy

    DOEpatents

    Zare, Richard N.; Harb, Charles C.; Paldus, Barbara A.; Spence, Thomas G.

    2003-01-01

    An analog detection system for determining a ring-down rate or decay rate 1/.tau. of an exponentially decaying ring-down beam issuing from a lifetime or ring-down cavity during a ring-down phase. Alternatively, the analog detection system determines a build-up rate of an exponentially growing beam issuing from the cavity during a ring-up phase. The analog system can be employed in continuous wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CW CRDS) and pulsed CRDS (P CRDS) arrangements utilizing any type of ring-down cavity including ring-cavities and linear cavities.

  5. NASA HRP Immunology Discipline - Use of Terrestrial Analogs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crucian, Brian

    2014-01-01

    Due to the cost and operational constraints, as well as technical implementation limitations, it is desirous to perform relevant space physiology investigations first in terrestrial 'space analogs'. This is particularly true for initial investigations, which may then provide appropriate focus for subsequent flight investigations, or for mechanistic investigations that simply cannot be performed during spaceflight. Appropriate analog choice is extremely important. There are a wide variety of terrestrial space analogs, each relevant to a particular physiological discipline (or disciplines) and each with a particular fidelity (or lack thereof) to spaceflight, and each with unique operational constraints. The HRP Immunology Discipline is tasked with managing the HRP Risk concerning clinical risk for Astronaut crews related to spaceflight-associated immune dysregulation. Such dysregulation has been documented to occur during spaceflight, and found to persist for the duration of a 6-month ISS mission. Studies continue to characterize the onorbit phenomenon, but it generally consists of diminished immunocyte function, dysregulated cytokine profiles, and persistent herpesvirus reactivation. Causes are thought to synergistically include microgravity, psychological or physiological stress, radiation, and/or circadian misalignment. An appropriate terrestrial analog for immune dysregulation would replicate as many of these influences as possible. Such analogs may include clinostat or bioreactor cell culture (microgravity), hindlimb suspension (stress, fluid shifts, hypokinesis), or human deployment to remote or extreme environments (isolation, stress, circadian). Also, the laboratory setting may be used as an analog, or to augment analogs, such as sleep deprivation/misalignment or human centrifugation to replicate gravitational stress. As an appropriate example of a NASA Disciplines use of Terrestrial space analogs, this talk will discuss spaceflight associated immune

  6. Developing Analogy Cost Estimates for Space Missions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shishko, Robert

    2004-01-01

    The analogy approach in cost estimation combines actual cost data from similar existing systems, activities, or items with adjustments for a new project's technical, physical or programmatic differences to derive a cost estimate for the new system. This method is normally used early in a project cycle when there is insufficient design/cost data to use as a basis for (or insufficient time to perform) a detailed engineering cost estimate. The major limitation of this method is that it relies on the judgment and experience of the analyst/estimator. The analyst must ensure that the best analogy or analogies have been selected, and that appropriate adjustments have been made. While analogy costing is common, there is a dearth of advice in the literature on the 'adjustment methodology', especially for hardware projects. This paper discusses some potential approaches that can improve rigor and repeatability in the analogy costing process.

  7. Treatment and prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia with PTH-CBD, a collagen-targeted parathyroid hormone analog, in a non-depilated mouse model

    PubMed Central

    Katikaneni, Ranjitha; Ponnapakkam, Tulasi; Matsushita, Osamu; Sakon, Joshua; Gensure, Robert

    2014-01-01

    Alopecia is a psychologically devastating complication of chemotherapy for which there is currently no effective therapy. PTH-CBD is a collagen-targeted parathyroid hormone analog that has shown promise as a therapy for alopecia disorders. To compare the efficacy of prophylactic versus therapeutic administration of PTH-CBD in chemotherapy-induced alopecia using a mouse model that mimics the cyclic chemotherapy dosing used clinically. C57BL/6J mice were treated with a single subcutaneous injection of PTH-CBD (320 mcg/kg) or vehicle control before or after hair loss developing from three courses of cyclophosphamide chemotherapy (50–150 mg/kg/week). Mice receiving chemotherapy alone developed hair loss and depigmentation over 6–12 months. Mice pretreated with PTH-CBD did not develop these changes and maintained a normal-appearing coat. Mice treated with PTH-CBD after development of hair loss showed a partial recovery. Observations of hair loss were confirmed quantitatively by gray scale analysis. Histological examination showed that in mice receiving chemotherapy alone, there were small, dystrophic hair follicles mostly in the catagen phase. Mice receiving PTH-CBD before chemotherapy showed a mix of normal-appearing telogen and anagen hair follicles with no evidence of dystrophy. Mice receiving PTH-CBD therapy after chemotherapy showed intermediate histological features. PTH-CBD was effective in both the prevention and the treatment of chemotherapy-induced alopecia in mice, but pretreatment appears to result in a better cosmetic outcome. PTH-CBD shows promise as an agent in the prevention of this complication of chemotherapy and improving the quality of life for cancer patients. PMID:24025564

  8. Crows spontaneously exhibit analogical reasoning.

    PubMed

    Smirnova, Anna; Zorina, Zoya; Obozova, Tanya; Wasserman, Edward

    2015-01-19

    Analogical reasoning is vital to advanced cognition and behavioral adaptation. Many theorists deem analogical thinking to be uniquely human and to be foundational to categorization, creative problem solving, and scientific discovery. Comparative psychologists have long been interested in the species generality of analogical reasoning, but they initially found it difficult to obtain empirical support for such thinking in nonhuman animals (for pioneering efforts, see [2, 3]). Researchers have since mustered considerable evidence and argument that relational matching-to-sample (RMTS) effectively captures the essence of analogy, in which the relevant logical arguments are presented visually. In RMTS, choice of test pair BB would be correct if the sample pair were AA, whereas choice of test pair EF would be correct if the sample pair were CD. Critically, no items in the correct test pair physically match items in the sample pair, thus demanding that only relational sameness or differentness is available to support accurate choice responding. Initial evidence suggested that only humans and apes can successfully learn RMTS with pairs of sample and test items; however, monkeys have subsequently done so. Here, we report that crows too exhibit relational matching behavior. Even more importantly, crows spontaneously display relational responding without ever having been trained on RMTS; they had only been trained on identity matching-to-sample (IMTS). Such robust and uninstructed relational matching behavior represents the most convincing evidence yet of analogical reasoning in a nonprimate species, as apes alone have spontaneously exhibited RMTS behavior after only IMTS training. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Perceptions of Rebuttal Analogy: Politeness and Implications for Persuasion.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whaley, Bryan B.

    1997-01-01

    States that recent theorizing about the role of analogy in persuasion suggests that "rebuttal" analogy addresses two communicative functions by serving as argument and a method of social attack. Examines message receivers' perceptions of rebuttal analogy and rebuttal analogy users. Finds that participants perceived the communicator using…

  10. Elucidating the neurotoxic effects of MDMA and its analogs.

    PubMed

    Karuppagounder, Senthilkumar S; Bhattacharya, Dwipayan; Ahuja, Manuj; Suppiramaniam, Vishnu; Deruiter, Jack; Clark, Randall; Dhanasekaran, Muralikrishnan

    2014-04-17

    There is a rapid increase in the use of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and its structural congeners/analogs globally. MDMA and MDMA-analogs have been synthesized illegally in furtive dwellings and are abused due to its addictive potential. Furthermore, MDMA and MDMA-analogs have shown to have induced several adverse effects. Hence, understanding the mechanisms mediating this neurotoxic insult of MDMA-analogs is of immense importance for the public health in the world. We synthesized and investigated the neurotoxic effects of MDMA and its analogs [4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), 2, 6-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDMA), and N-ethyl-3, 4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDEA)]. The stimulatory or the dopaminergic agonist effects of MDMA and MDMA-analogs were elucidated using the established 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned animal model. Additionally, we also investigated the neurotoxic mechanisms of MDMA and MDMA-analogs on mitochondrial complex-I activity and reactive oxygen species generation. MDMA and MDMA-analogs exhibited stimulatory activity as compared to amphetamines and also induced several behavioral changes in the rodents. MDMA and MDMA-analogs enhanced the reactive oxygen generation and inhibited mitochondrial complex-I activity which can lead to neurodegeneration. Hence the mechanism of neurotoxicity, MDMA and MDMA-analogs can enhance the release of monoamines, alter the monoaminergic neurotransmission, and augment oxidative stress and mitochondrial abnormalities leading to neurotoxicity. Thus, our study will help in developing effective pharmacological and therapeutic approaches for the treatment of MDMA and MDMA-analog abuse. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Learning Plate Tectonics Using a Pre-Analogy Step

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Glesener, G. B.; Sandoval, W. A.

    2011-12-01

    Previous research has shown that children tend to demonstrate lower performance on analogical reasoning tasks at a causal relations level compared to most adults (Gentner & Toupin, 1986). This tendency is an obstacle that geoscience educators must overcome because of the high frequency of analogies used in geoscience pedagogy. In particular, analog models are used to convey complex systems of non-everyday/non-observable events found in nature, such as plate tectonics. Key factors in successful analogical reasoning that have been suggested by researchers include knowledge of the causal relations in the base analog (Brown & Kane, 1988; Gentner, 1988; Gentner & Toupin, 1986), and development of learning strategies and metaconceptual competence(Brown & Kane, 1988). External factors, such as guiding cues and hints have been useful cognitive supports that help students reason through analogical problems (Gick & Holyoak, 1980). Cognitive supports have been seen by researchers to decrease processing demands on retrieval and working memory (Richland, Zur, & Holyoak, 2007). We observed third and fourth graders learning about plate tectonics beginning with a pre-analogy step-a cognitive support activity a student can do before working with an analogy to understand the target. This activity was designed to aid students in developing their understanding of object attributes and relations within an analog model so that more focus can be placed on mapping the corresponding higher-order relations between the base and target. Students learned targeted concepts of plate tectonics, as measured by pre to post gains on items adapted from the Geosciences Concept Inventory. Analyses of classroom interaction showed that students used the object attributes and higher-order relations highlighted in the pre-analogy activity as resources to reason about plate boundaries and plate movement during earthquakes.

  12. Digital plus analog output encoder

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hafle, R. S. (Inventor)

    1976-01-01

    The disclosed encoder is adapted to produce both digital and analog output signals corresponding to the angular position of a rotary shaft, or the position of any other movable member. The digital signals comprise a series of binary signals constituting a multidigit code word which defines the angular position of the shaft with a degree of resolution which depends upon the number of digits in the code word. The basic binary signals are produced by photocells actuated by a series of binary tracks on a code disc or member. The analog signals are in the form of a series of ramp signals which are related in length to the least significant bit of the digital code word. The analog signals are derived from sine and cosine tracks on the code disc.

  13. Analogy-Enhanced Instruction: Effects on Reasoning Skills in Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Remigio, Krisette B.; Yangco, Rosanelia T.; Espinosa, Allen A.

    2014-01-01

    The study examined the reasoning skills of first year high school students after learning general science concepts through analogies. Two intact heterogeneous sections were randomly assigned to Analogy-Enhanced Instruction (AEI) group and Non Analogy-Enhanced (NAEI) group. Various analogies were incorporated in the lessons of the AEI group for…

  14. A Systematic Evaluation of Analogs for the Read-across ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Read-across is a data gap filling technique widely used within category and analog approaches to predict a biological property for a target data-poor chemical using known information from similar (source analog) chemical(s). Potential source analogs are typically identified based on structural similarity. Although much guidance has been published for read-across, practical guiding principles for the identification and evaluation of the scientific validity of source analogs, which is a critical step in deriving a robust read-across prediction, remains largely lacking.This case study explores the extent to which 3 structure descriptor sets (Pubchem, Chemotyper and MoSS) and their combinations are able to identify valid analogs for reading across Estrogen Receptor (ER) activity for a specific class of chemicals: hindered phenols. For each target chemical, two sets of analogs (hindered and non-hindered phenols) were selected using each descriptor set with two cut-offs: (1). Minimum Tanimoto similarity (range 0.1 - 0.9), and (2). Closest N analogs (range 1 - 10). Each target-analog pair was then evaluated for its agreement with measured ER binding and agonism. Subsequently, the analogs were filtered using physchem properties (LogKow & Molecular Volume) and the resultant agreement between each target-analog pair was evaluated. The data set comprised 462 hindered phenols and 296 non-hindered phenols. The results demonstrate that: (1). The concordance in ER activity r

  15. Analogy, explanation, and proof

    PubMed Central

    Hummel, John E.; Licato, John; Bringsjord, Selmer

    2014-01-01

    People are habitual explanation generators. At its most mundane, our propensity to explain allows us to infer that we should not drink milk that smells sour; at the other extreme, it allows us to establish facts (e.g., theorems in mathematical logic) whose truth was not even known prior to the existence of the explanation (proof). What do the cognitive operations underlying the inference that the milk is sour have in common with the proof that, say, the square root of two is irrational? Our ability to generate explanations bears striking similarities to our ability to make analogies. Both reflect a capacity to generate inferences and generalizations that go beyond the featural similarities between a novel problem and familiar problems in terms of which the novel problem may be understood. However, a notable difference between analogy-making and explanation-generation is that the former is a process in which a single source situation is used to reason about a single target, whereas the latter often requires the reasoner to integrate multiple sources of knowledge. This seemingly small difference poses a challenge to the task of marshaling our understanding of analogical reasoning to understanding explanation. We describe a model of explanation, derived from a model of analogy, adapted to permit systematic violations of this one-to-one mapping constraint. Simulation results demonstrate that the resulting model can generate explanations for novel explananda and that, like the explanations generated by human reasoners, these explanations vary in their coherence. PMID:25414655

  16. Insulin analogs with improved pharmacokinetic profiles.

    PubMed

    Brange; Vølund

    1999-02-01

    The aim of insulin replacement therapy is to normalize blood glucose in order to reduce the complications of diabetes. The pharmacokinetics of the traditional insulin preparations, however, do not match the profiles of physiological insulin secretion. The introduction of the rDNA technology 20 years ago opened new ways to create insulin analogs with altered properties. Fast-acting analogs are based on the idea that an insulin with less tendency to self-association than human insulin would be more readily absorbed into the systemic circulation. Protracted-acting analogs have been created to mimic the slow, steady rate of insulin secretion in the fasting state. The present paper provides a historical review of the efforts to change the physicochemical and pharmacological properties of insulin in order to improve insulin therapy. The available clinical studies of the new insulins are surveyed and show, together with modeling results, that new strategies for optimal basal-bolus treatment are required for utilization of the new fast-acting analogs.

  17. How the creative use of analogies can shape medical practice.

    PubMed

    Prasad, G V Ramesh

    2015-06-01

    Analogical reasoning is central to medical progress, and is either creative or conservative. According to Hofmann et al., conservative analogy relates concepts from old technology to new technologies with emphasis on preservation of comprehension and conduct. Creative analogy however brings new understanding to new technology, brings similarities existing in the source domain to a target domain where they previously had no bearing, and imports something entirely different from the content of the analogy itself. I defend the claim that while conservative analogies are useful by virtue of being comfortable to use from familiarity and experience, and are more easily accepted by society, they only lead to incremental advances in medicine. However, creative analogies are more exciting and productive because they generate previously unexpected associations across widely separated domains, emphasize relations over physical similarities, and structure over superficiality. I use kidney transplantation and anti-rejection medication development as an exemplar of analogical reasoning used to improve medical practice. Anti-rejection medication has not helped highly sensitized patients because of their propensity to rejecting most organs. I outline how conservative analogical reasoning led to anti-rejection medication development, but creative analogical reasoning helped highly sensitized and blood type incompatible patients through domino transplants, by which they obtain a kidney to which they are not sensitized. Creative analogical reasoning is more likely than conservative analogical reasoning to lead to revolutionary progress. While these analogies overlap and creative analogies eventually become conservative, progress is best facilitated by combining conservative and creative analogical reasoning. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Bayesian analogy with relational transformations.

    PubMed

    Lu, Hongjing; Chen, Dawn; Holyoak, Keith J

    2012-07-01

    How can humans acquire relational representations that enable analogical inference and other forms of high-level reasoning? Using comparative relations as a model domain, we explore the possibility that bottom-up learning mechanisms applied to objects coded as feature vectors can yield representations of relations sufficient to solve analogy problems. We introduce Bayesian analogy with relational transformations (BART) and apply the model to the task of learning first-order comparative relations (e.g., larger, smaller, fiercer, meeker) from a set of animal pairs. Inputs are coded by vectors of continuous-valued features, based either on human magnitude ratings, normed feature ratings (De Deyne et al., 2008), or outputs of the topics model (Griffiths, Steyvers, & Tenenbaum, 2007). Bootstrapping from empirical priors, the model is able to induce first-order relations represented as probabilistic weight distributions, even when given positive examples only. These learned representations allow classification of novel instantiations of the relations and yield a symbolic distance effect of the sort obtained with both humans and other primates. BART then transforms its learned weight distributions by importance-guided mapping, thereby placing distinct dimensions into correspondence. These transformed representations allow BART to reliably solve 4-term analogies (e.g., larger:smaller::fiercer:meeker), a type of reasoning that is arguably specific to humans. Our results provide a proof-of-concept that structured analogies can be solved with representations induced from unstructured feature vectors by mechanisms that operate in a largely bottom-up fashion. We discuss potential implications for algorithmic and neural models of relational thinking, as well as for the evolution of abstract thought. Copyright 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

  19. Pre-Steady State Kinetic Investigation of the Incorporation of Anti-Hepatitis B Nucleotide Analogs Catalyzed by Non-Canonical Human DNA Polymerases

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Jessica A.; Pack, Lindsey R.; Fowler, Jason D.; Suo, Zucai

    2011-01-01

    Antiviral nucleoside analogs have been developed to inhibit the enzymatic activities of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase, thereby preventing the replication and production of HBV. However, the usage of these analogs can be limited by drug toxicity because the 5′-triphosphates of these nucleoside analogs (nucleotide analogs) are potential substrates for human DNA polymerases to incorporate into host DNA. Although they are poor substrates for human replicative DNA polymerases, it remains to be established whether these nucleotide analogs are substrates for the recently discovered human X- and Y-family DNA polymerases. Using pre-steady state kinetic techniques, we have measured the substrate specificity values for human DNA polymerases β, λ, η, ι, κ, and Rev1 incorporating the active forms of the following anti-HBV nucleoside analogs approved for clinical use: adefovir, tenofovir, lamivudine, telbivudine, and entecavir. Compared to the incorporation of a natural nucleotide, most of the nucleotide analogs were incorporated less efficiently (2 to >122,000) by the six human DNA polymerases. In addition, the potential for entecavir and telbivudine, two drugs which possess a 3′-hydroxyl, to become embedded into human DNA was examined by primer extension and DNA ligation assays. These results suggested that telbivudine functions as a chain terminator while entecavir was efficiently extended by the six enzymes and was a substrate for human DNA ligase I. Our findings suggested that incorporation of anti-HBV nucleotide analogs catalyzed by human X- and Y-family polymerases may contribute to clinical toxicity. PMID:22132702

  20. Can Pupils Use Taught Analogies for Electric Current?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black, David; Solomon, Joan

    1987-01-01

    Discusses the use of analogies and models for teaching about electric current. Reports on a study in which one group of students used analogies to learn about electric current and one did not. Results indicate that, in this case, analogies did not play a significant role in student understanding. (TW)

  1. Analog Techniques in CEBAF's RF Control System

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hovater, J.; Fugitt, Jock

    1988-01-01

    Recent developments in high-speed analog technology have progressed into the areas of traditional RF technology.Diode-related devices are being replaced by analog IC's in the CEBAF RF control system.Complex phase modulators and attenuators have been successfully tested at 70 MHz.They have three advantages over existing technology: lower cost, less temperature sensitivity, and more linearity.RF signal conditioning components and how to implement the new analog IC's will be covered in this paper.

  2. CRC handbook of neurohypophyseal hormone analogs. Volume 2

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jost, K.; Lebl, M.; Brtnik, F.

    1987-01-01

    This book is discussed in two parts. The Part 1 discusses the: Prohormones and Hormonogens of Neuro-hypophyseal Hormones, Analogs with Inhibitory properties. Analogs with Dissociated and/or High activities. Introduction. Uterotonic Activity. Galactogogic Activity. Pressor Activity. Antidiuretic Activity. References. Part 2 discusses the Other Important Activities. CNS Activities. Corticotropin- and ..beta..-Entriuretic Action. Natriferic Action. References. Practical Use in Human and Veterinary Medicine. Introduction. Methyloxytocin. Deamino-Oxytocin. Cargutocin. Glypressin. Octapressin. Desmopressin. Analogs Clinically Tried But Not Introduced into Production and Routine Clinical Practice. References. Tables of Analogs and Index.

  3. Analogical Matrices in Young Children and Students with Intellectual Disability: Reasoning by Analogy or Reasoning by Association?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Denaes, Caroline

    2012-01-01

    Background: Analogical reasoning (AR) is renowned for being a complex activity. Young children tend to reason by association, rather by analogy, and people with intellectual disability present problems of memorization. Both these populations usually show low performances in AR. The present author investigated whether familiar material and external…

  4. Design and evaluation of novel interferon lambda analogs with enhanced antiviral activity and improved drug attributes

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Debin; Zhao, Mingzhi; Dong, Liwei; Zhao, Lu; Zou, Mingwei; Sun, Hetong; Zhang, Mengying; Liu, Hongyu; Zou, Zhihua

    2016-01-01

    Type III interferons (IFNs) (also called IFN-λ: IFN-λ1, IFN-λ2, IFN-λ3, and IFN-λ4) are critical players in the defense against viral infection of mucosal epithelial cells, where the activity of type I IFNs is weak, and unlike type I IFNs that are associated with severe and diverse side effects, type III IFNs cause minimal side effects due to the highly restricted expression of their receptors, and thus appear to be promising agents for the treatment and prevention of respiratory and gastrointestinal viral infection. However, the antiviral potency of natural type III IFNs is weak compared to type I and, although IFN-λ3 possesses the highest bioactivity among the type III IFNs, IFN-λ1, instead of IFN-λ3, is being developed as a therapeutic drug due to the difficulty to express IFN-λ3 in the prokaryotic expression system. Here, to develop optimal IFN-λ molecules with improved drug attributes, we designed a series of IFN-λ analogs by replacing critical amino acids of IFN-λ1 with the IFN-λ3 counterparts, and vice versa. Four of the designed analogs were successfully expressed in Escherichia coli with high yield and were easily purified from inclusion bodies. Interestingly, all four analogs showed potent activity in inducing the expression of the antiviral genes MxA and OAS and two of them, analog-6 and -7, displayed an unexpected high potency that is higher than that of type I IFN (IFN-α2a) in activating the IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE)-luciferase reporter. Importantly, both analog-6 and -7 effectively inhibited replication of hepatitis C virus in Huh-7.5.1 cells, with an IC50 that is comparable to that of IFN-α2a; and consistent with the roles of IFN-λ in mucosal epithelia, both analogs potently inhibited replication of H3N2 influenza A virus in A549 cells. Together, these studies identified two IFN-λ analogs as candidates to be developed as novel antiviral biologics. PMID:26792983

  5. Analogical and category-based inference: a theoretical integration with Bayesian causal models.

    PubMed

    Holyoak, Keith J; Lee, Hee Seung; Lu, Hongjing

    2010-11-01

    A fundamental issue for theories of human induction is to specify constraints on potential inferences. For inferences based on shared category membership, an analogy, and/or a relational schema, it appears that the basic goal of induction is to make accurate and goal-relevant inferences that are sensitive to uncertainty. People can use source information at various levels of abstraction (including both specific instances and more general categories), coupled with prior causal knowledge, to build a causal model for a target situation, which in turn constrains inferences about the target. We propose a computational theory in the framework of Bayesian inference and test its predictions (parameter-free for the cases we consider) in a series of experiments in which people were asked to assess the probabilities of various causal predictions and attributions about a target on the basis of source knowledge about generative and preventive causes. The theory proved successful in accounting for systematic patterns of judgments about interrelated types of causal inferences, including evidence that analogical inferences are partially dissociable from overall mapping quality.

  6. Evaluation of nicotine and cotinine analogs as potential neuroprotective agents for Alzheimer's disease.

    PubMed

    Gao, Jie; Adam, Bao-Ling; Terry, Alvin V

    2014-03-15

    The currently available therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related forms of dementia are limited by modest efficacy, adverse side effects, and the fact that they do not prevent the relentless progression of the illness. The purpose of the studies described here was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of the nicotine metabolite cotinine as well as a small series of cotinine and nicotine analogs (including stereoisomers) and to compare their effects to the four clinically prescribed AD therapies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Spaceflight Sensorimotor Analogs: Simulating Acute and Adaptive Effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Taylor, Laura C.; Harm, Deborah L.; Kozlovskaya, Inessa; Reschke, Millard F.; Wood, Scott J.

    2009-01-01

    Adaptive changes in sensorimotor function during spaceflight are reflected by spatial disorientation, motion sickness, gaze destabilization and decrements in balance, locomotion and eye-hand coordination that occur during and following transitions between different gravitational states. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-synthesis of data from spaceflight analogs to evaluate their effectiveness in simulating adaptive changes in sensorimotor function. METHODS. The analogs under review were categorized as either acute analogs used to simulate performance decrements accompanied with transient changes, or adaptive analogs used to drive sensorimotor learning to altered sensory feedback. The effectiveness of each analog was evaluated in terms of mechanisms of action, magnitude and time course of observed deficits compared to spaceflight data, and the effects of amplitude and exposure duration. RESULTS. Parabolic flight has been used extensively to examine effects of acute variation in gravitational loads, ranging from hypergravity to microgravity. More recently, galvanic vestibular stimulation has been used to elicit acute postural, locomotor and gaze dysfunction by disrupting vestibular afferents. Patient populations, e.g., with bilateral vestibular loss or cerebellar dysfunction, have been proposed to model acute sensorimotor dysfunction. Early research sponsored by NASA involved living onboard rotating rooms, which appeared to approximate the time course of adaptation and post-exposure recovery observed in astronauts following spaceflight. Exposure to different bed-rest paradigms (6 deg head down, dry immersion) result in similar motor deficits to that observed following spaceflight. Shorter adaptive analogs have incorporated virtual reality environments, visual distortion paradigms, exposure to conflicting tilt-translation cues, and exposure to 3Gx centrifugation. As with spaceflight, there is considerable variability in responses to most of the analogs

  8. Functional DNA: Teaching Infinite Series through Genetic Analogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kowalski, R. Travis

    2011-01-01

    This article presents an extended analogy that connects infinite sequences and series to the science of genetics, by identifying power series as "DNA for a function." This analogy allows standard topics such as convergence tests or Taylor approximations to be recast in a "forensic" light as mathematical analogs of genetic concepts such as DNA…

  9. The importance of explicitly mapping instructional analogies in science education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asay, Loretta Johnson

    Analogies are ubiquitous during instruction in science classrooms, yet research about the effectiveness of using analogies has produced mixed results. An aspect seldom studied is a model of instruction when using analogies. The few existing models for instruction with analogies have not often been examined quantitatively. The Teaching With Analogies (TWA) model (Glynn, 1991) is one of the models frequently cited in the variety of research about analogies. The TWA model outlines steps for instruction, including the step of explicitly mapping the features of the source to the target. An experimental study was conducted to examine the effects of explicitly mapping the features of the source and target in an analogy during computer-based instruction about electrical circuits. Explicit mapping was compared to no mapping and to a control with no analogy. Participants were ninth- and tenth-grade biology students who were each randomly assigned to one of three conditions (no analogy module, analogy module, or explicitly mapped analogy module) for computer-based instruction. Subjects took a pre-test before the instruction, which was used to assign them to a level of previous knowledge about electrical circuits for analysis of any differential effects. After the instruction modules, students took a post-test about electrical circuits. Two weeks later, they took a delayed post-test. No advantage was found for explicitly mapping the analogy. Learning patterns were the same, regardless of the type of instruction. Those who knew the least about electrical circuits, based on the pre-test, made the most gains. After the two-week delay, this group maintained the largest amount of their gain. Implications exist for science education classrooms, as analogy use should be based on research about effective practices. Further studies are suggested to foster the building of research-based models for classroom instruction with analogies.

  10. Fatty acid analogs

    DOEpatents

    Elmaleh, David R.; Livni, Eli

    1985-01-01

    In one aspect, a radioactively labeled analog of a fatty acid which is capable of being taken up by mammalian tissue and which exhibits an in vivo beta-oxidation rate below that with a corresponding radioactively labeled fatty acid.

  11. A CCD Monolithic LMS Adaptive Analog Signal Processor Integrated Circuit.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-03-01

    adaptive filter with electrically- reprogrammable MOS analog conductance weights. I The analog and digital peripheral MOS on-chip circuits are provided with...electrically reprogrammable analog weights at tap positions along a CCD analog delay line in order to form a basic linear combiner for adaptive filtering...electrically reprogrammable analog conductance weights was introduced with the use of non-volatile MNOS memory 6-7 transistors biased in their triode

  12. ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL DATA CONVERTER

    DOEpatents

    Rodgers, G.W.; Althouse, J.E.; Anderson, D.P.; Bussey, G.R.; Minnear, L.H.

    1960-09-01

    Electrical apparatus is described, particularly useful in telemetry work, for converting analog signals into electrical pulses and recording them. An electronic editor commands the taking of signal readings at a frequency which varies according to linearity of the analog signal being converted. Readings of information signals are recorded, along with time base readings and serial numbering, if desired, on magnetic tape and the latter may be used to operate a computer or the like. Magnetic tape data may be transferred to punched cards.

  13. Cyclopentanoid analogs of phosphatidylcholine: susceptibility to phospholipase A2.

    PubMed

    Lister, M D; Hancock, A J

    1988-10-01

    Six isomers of dipalmitoylcyclopentanetriol phosphocholine (cyclopentano-lecithin) were tested as potential substrates for phospholipase A2. Since each of these analogs possesses a configuration that mimics a narrow range of conformations of a glycerophospholipid molecule, the analogs were used to assess the enzyme's conformational requirements. Studies showed that all of the analogs containing the phosphocholine at the C-1 (or C-3) position could be hydrolyzed, while only one of the three analogs that contains the polar head group at the C-2 position was susceptible. Kinetic studies, however, revealed that only the all-trans-(1,3/2-1P)-cyclopentano-lecithin gave initial rates of hydrolysis that were measurable by pH-stat. Acyl group specificity of the enzyme towards the all-trans isomer was determined with an analog was acyl groups were distinguishable. The synthesis of this mixed-acid-cyclopentano-PC is described herein. When this analog was enzymatically assayed, results unequivocally showed the enzyme to be specific for C-2 acyl hydrolysis. This specificity, and data showing that the all-trans analog is stereospecifically hydrolyzed, indicate that it is acted on in an analogous manner to dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine. These studies indicate that although the configuration of the analog is not necessarily a prerequisite for hydrolysis, there does appear to be an optimal spatial orientation for enzymatic activity. The analogy between the susceptibilities of all-trans-(1,3/2-1P)-cyclopentano-lecithin and glycero-lecithin suggests that the conformation of the glycero-lecithin during phospholipase A2-mediated hydrolysis may be best simulated by the all-trans orientation of C-O bonds in the artificial substrate.

  14. Analogy, higher order thinking, and education.

    PubMed

    Richland, Lindsey Engle; Simms, Nina

    2015-01-01

    Analogical reasoning, the ability to understand phenomena as systems of structured relationships that can be aligned, compared, and mapped together, plays a fundamental role in the technology rich, increasingly globalized educational climate of the 21st century. Flexible, conceptual thinking is prioritized in this view of education, and schools are emphasizing 'higher order thinking', rather than memorization of a cannon of key topics. The lack of a cognitively grounded definition for higher order thinking, however, has led to a field of research and practice with little coherence across domains or connection to the large body of cognitive science research on thinking. We review literature on analogy and disciplinary higher order thinking to propose that relational reasoning can be productively considered the cognitive underpinning of higher order thinking. We highlight the utility of this framework for developing insights into practice through a review of mathematics, science, and history educational contexts. In these disciplines, analogy is essential to developing expert-like disciplinary knowledge in which concepts are understood to be systems of relationships that can be connected and flexibly manipulated. At the same time, analogies in education require explicit support to ensure that learners notice the relevance of relational thinking, have adequate processing resources available to mentally hold and manipulate relations, and are able to recognize both the similarities and differences when drawing analogies between systems of relationships. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. NaturAnalogs for the Unsaturated Zone

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    A. Simmons; A. Unger; M. Murrell

    2000-03-08

    The purpose of this Analysis/Model Report (AMR) is to document natural and anthropogenic (human-induced) analog sites and processes that are applicable to flow and transport processes expected to occur at the potential Yucca Mountain repository in order to build increased confidence in modeling processes of Unsaturated Zone (UZ) flow and transport. This AMR was prepared in accordance with ''AMR Development Plan for U0135, Natural Analogs for the UZ'' (CRWMS 1999a). Knowledge from analog sites and processes is used as corroborating information to test and build confidence in flow and transport models of Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This AMR supports the Unsaturatedmore » Zone (UZ) Flow and Transport Process Model Report (PMR) and the Yucca Mountain Site Description. The objectives of this AMR are to test and build confidence in the representation of UZ processes in numerical models utilized in the UZ Flow and Transport Model. This is accomplished by: (1) applying data from Boxy Canyon, Idaho in simulations of UZ flow using the same methodologies incorporated in the Yucca Mountain UZ Flow and Transport Model to assess the fracture-matrix interaction conceptual model; (2) Providing a preliminary basis for analysis of radionuclide transport at Pena Blanca, Mexico as an analog of radionuclide transport at Yucca Mountain; and (3) Synthesizing existing information from natural analog studies to provide corroborating evidence for representation of ambient and thermally coupled UZ flow and transport processes in the UZ Model.« less

  16. Analog hardware implementation of neocognitron networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inigo, Rafael M.; Bonde, Allen, Jr.; Holcombe, Bradford

    1990-08-01

    This paper deals with the analog implementation of neocognitron based neural networks. All of Fukushima''s and related work on the neocognitron is based on digital computer simulations. To fully take advantage of the power of this network paradigm an analog electronic approach is proposed. We first implemented a 6-by-6 sensor network with discrete analog components and fixed weights. The network was given weight values to recognize the characters U L and F. These characters are recognized regardless of their location on the sensor and with various levels of distortion and noise. The network performance has also shown an excellent correlation with software simulation results. Next we implemented a variable weight network which can be trained to recognize simple patterns by means of self-organization. The adaptable weights were implemented with PETs configured as voltage-controlled resistors. To implement a variable weight there must be some type of " memory" to store the weight value and hold it while the value is reinforced or incremented. Two methods were evaluated: an analog sample-hold circuit and a digital storage scheme using binary counters. The latter is preferable for VLSI implementation because it uses standard components and does not require the use of capacitors. The analog design and implementation of these small-scale networks demonstrates the feasibility of implementing more complicated ANNs in electronic hardware. The circuits developed can also be designed for VLSI implementation. 1.

  17. Chromomycin SA analogs from a marine-derived Streptomyces sp.

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Youcai; Espindola, Ana Paula D. M; Stewart, Nathan A.; Wei, Shuguang; Posner, Bruce A.; MacMillan, John B.

    2011-01-01

    Two chromomycin SA analogs, chromomycin SA3 and chromomycin SA2, along with deacetylchromomycin A3 and five previously reported chromomycin analogs were isolated from a marine-derived Streptomyces sp. The structures of the new compounds were determined by spectroscopic methods including 1D and 2D NMR techniques, HRMS and chemical methods. Chromomycin SA3 and chromomycin SA2 are the first naturally occuring chromomycin analogs with truncated side-chains. Biological evaluation of chromomycin analogs for cytotoxicity against two non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell-lines, A549 and HCC44, demonstrated a decrease in cytotoxicity for the truncated sides chain chromomycin analogs. PMID:21807523

  18. Simple Electronic Analog of a Josephson Junction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henry, R. W.; And Others

    1981-01-01

    Demonstrates that an electronic Josephson junction analog constructed from three integrated circuits plus an external reference oscillator can exhibit many of the circuit phenomena of a real Josephson junction. Includes computer and other applications of the analog. (Author/SK)

  19. Arguing by analogy in the fetal tissue debate.

    PubMed

    Gillam, Lynn

    1997-10-01

    In the debate over fetal tissue use, an analogy is often drawn between removing organs from the body of a person who has been murdered to use for transplantation, and collecting tissue from an aborted fetus to use for the same purpose. The murder victim analogy is taken by its proponents to show that even if abortion is the moral equivalent of murder, there is still no good reason to refrain from using the fetal tissue, since as a society we do not see any problem about using organs from murder victims. However, I argue that the analogy between murder victims and aborted fetuses does not hold -- the two situations are not the same in all morally relevant respects. Thus the murder victim analogy does not provide an argument in favour of fetal tissue transplant. In conclusion, I point to some of the potential pitfalls of using analogies in ethical argument.

  20. Antarctic analogs for Enceladus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murray, A. E.; Andersen, D. T.; McKay, C. P.

    2014-12-01

    Enceladus is a new world for Astrobiology. The Cassini discovery of the icy plume emanating from the South Polar region indicates an active world, where detection of water, organics, sodium, and nano-particle silica in the plume strongly suggests that the source is a subsurface salty ocean reservoir. Recent gravity data from Cassini confirms the presence of a regional sea extending north to 50°S. An ocean habitat under a thick ice cover is perhaps a recurring theme in the Outer Solar System, but what makes Enceladus unique is that the plume jetting out into space is carrying samples of this ocean. Therefore, through the study of Enceladus' plumes we can gain new insights not only of a possible habitable world in the Solar Systems, but also about the formation and evolution of other icy-satellites. Cassini has been able to fly through this plume - effectively sampling the ocean. It is time to plan for future missions that do more detailed analyses, possibly return samples back to Earth and search for evidence of life. To help prepare for such missions, the need for earth-based analog environments is essential for logistical, methodological (life detection) and theoretical development. We have undertaken studies of two terrestrial environments that are close analogs to Enceladus' ocean: Lake Vida and Lake Untersee - two ice-sealed Antarctic lakes that represent physical, chemical and possibly biological analogs for Enceladus. By studying the diverse biology and physical and chemical constraints to life in these two unique lakes we will begin to understand the potential habitability of Enceladus and other icy moons, including possible sources of nutrients and energy, which together with liquid water are the key ingredients for life. Analog research such as this will also enable us to develop and test new strategies to search for evidence of life on Enceladus.

  1. Synthetic Analogs of Curcumin Modulate the Function of Multidrug Resistance-Linked ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter ABCG2.

    PubMed

    Murakami, Megumi; Ohnuma, Shinobu; Fukuda, Michihiro; Chufan, Eduardo E; Kudoh, Katsuyoshi; Kanehara, Keigo; Sugisawa, Norihiko; Ishida, Masaharu; Naitoh, Takeshi; Shibata, Hiroyuki; Iwabuchi, Yoshiharu; Ambudkar, Suresh V; Unno, Michiaki

    2017-11-01

    Multidrug resistance (MDR) caused by the overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in cancer cells is a major obstacle in cancer chemotherapy. Previous studies have shown that curcumin, a natural product and a dietary constituent of turmeric, inhibits the function of MDR-related ABC transporters, including ABCB1, ABCC1, and especially ABCG2. However, the limited bioavailability of curcumin prevents its use for modulation of the function of these transporters in the clinical setting. In this study, we investigated the effects of 24 synthetic curcumin analogs with increased bioavailability on the transport function of ABCG2. The screening of the 24 synthetic analogs by means of flow cytometry revealed that four of the curcumin analogs (GO-Y030, GO-Y078, GO-Y168, and GO-Y172) significantly inhibited the efflux of the ABCG2 substrates, mitoxantrone and pheophorbide A, from ABCG2-overexpressing K562/breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) cells. Biochemical analyses showed that GO-Y030, GO-Y078, and GO-Y172 stimulated the ATPase activity of ABCG2 at nanomolar concentrations and inhibited the photolabeling of ABCG2 with iodoarylazidoprazosin, suggesting that these analogs interact with the substrate-binding sites of ABCG2. In addition, when used in cytotoxicity assays, GO-Y030 and GO-Y078 were found to improve the sensitivity of the anticancer drug, SN-38, in K562/BCRP cells. Taken together, these results suggest that nontoxic synthetic curcumin analogs with increased bioavailability, especially GO-Y030 and GO-Y078, inhibit the function of ABCG2 by directly interacting at the substrate-binding site. These synthetic curcumin analogs could therefore be developed as potent modulators to overcome ABCG2-mediated MDR in cancer cells. Copyright © 2017 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

  2. Digitally Controlled Analog Signal Processing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-04-01

    each analog switch. The third is the parasiti - capacitance at the output (the capacitor side) of each analog switch. This last is of concern only when a...21) where fk (x) tf H(wk) -H(wk) for k = 1, 2,... n, and x denotes the vector containing n-+ I transfer function coefficients, a, a2 ,... am, and bl...b2, .... bt that are non-zero. We wish to solve this system of equations for x, the vector of unknown transfer function coefficients. The modified

  3. Binary/Analog CCD Correlator Development.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-07-01

    architecture , design and performance of a general purpose, 1,024-stage, programmable transversal filter implemented in CCD/NMOS technology is described. The device features programmability of the reference signal, the filter length and weighting coefficient resolution. Off-ship circuitry is minimized by incorporating both analog and digital support circuitry, on-chip. This results in a monolithic analog signal processing system that has the flexibility to be operated in nine programmable configurations, from 1,024-stages by 1-bit, to 128-stages by 8-bits. The versatility

  4. Analogical Reasoning: What Develops? A Review of Research and Theory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goswami, Usha

    1991-01-01

    Children's analogical reasoning has traditionally been measured by classical four-term analogy tasks or problem-solving tasks. Current theories of analogical development and the evidence on which they are based are reviewed. It is concluded that structural views of analogical development are wrong, and knowledge-based accounts of what develops are…

  5. Docking Simulation of the Binding Interactions of Saxitoxin Analogs Produced by the Marine Dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum to the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Nav1.4.

    PubMed

    Durán-Riveroll, Lorena M; Cembella, Allan D; Band-Schmidt, Christine J; Bustillos-Guzmán, José J; Correa-Basurto, José

    2016-05-06

    Saxitoxin (STX) and its analogs are paralytic alkaloid neurotoxins that block the voltage-gated sodium channel pore (Nav), impeding passage of Na⁺ ions into the intracellular space, and thereby preventing the action potential in the peripheral nervous system and skeletal muscle. The marine dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum produces an array of such toxins, including the recently discovered benzoyl analogs, for which the mammalian toxicities are essentially unknown. We subjected STX and its analogs to a theoretical docking simulation based upon two alternative tri-dimensional models of the Nav1.4 to find a relationship between the binding properties and the known mammalian toxicity of selected STX analogs. We inferred hypothetical toxicities for the benzoyl analogs from the modeled values. We demonstrate that these toxins exhibit different binding modes with similar free binding energies and that these alternative binding modes are equally probable. We propose that the principal binding that governs ligand recognition is mediated by electrostatic interactions. Our simulation constitutes the first in silico modeling study on benzoyl-type paralytic toxins and provides an approach towards a better understanding of the mode of action of STX and its analogs.

  6. Docking Simulation of the Binding Interactions of Saxitoxin Analogs Produced by the Marine Dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum to the Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Nav1.4

    PubMed Central

    Durán-Riveroll, Lorena M.; Cembella, Allan D.; Band-Schmidt, Christine J.; Bustillos-Guzmán, José J.; Correa-Basurto, José

    2016-01-01

    Saxitoxin (STX) and its analogs are paralytic alkaloid neurotoxins that block the voltage-gated sodium channel pore (Nav), impeding passage of Na+ ions into the intracellular space, and thereby preventing the action potential in the peripheral nervous system and skeletal muscle. The marine dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum produces an array of such toxins, including the recently discovered benzoyl analogs, for which the mammalian toxicities are essentially unknown. We subjected STX and its analogs to a theoretical docking simulation based upon two alternative tri-dimensional models of the Nav1.4 to find a relationship between the binding properties and the known mammalian toxicity of selected STX analogs. We inferred hypothetical toxicities for the benzoyl analogs from the modeled values. We demonstrate that these toxins exhibit different binding modes with similar free binding energies and that these alternative binding modes are equally probable. We propose that the principal binding that governs ligand recognition is mediated by electrostatic interactions. Our simulation constitutes the first in silico modeling study on benzoyl-type paralytic toxins and provides an approach towards a better understanding of the mode of action of STX and its analogs. PMID:27164145

  7. A Transiting Jupiter Analog

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kipping, D. M.; Torres, G.; Henze, C.; Teachey, A.; Isaacson, H.; Petigura, E.; Marcy, G. W.; Buchhave, L. A.; Chen, J.; Bryson, S. T.; Sandford, E.

    2016-04-01

    Decadal-long radial velocity surveys have recently started to discover analogs to the most influential planet of our solar system, Jupiter. Detecting and characterizing these worlds is expected to shape our understanding of our uniqueness in the cosmos. Despite the great successes of recent transit surveys, Jupiter analogs represent a terra incognita, owing to the strong intrinsic bias of this method against long orbital periods. We here report on the first validated transiting Jupiter analog, Kepler-167e (KOI-490.02), discovered using Kepler archival photometry orbiting the K4-dwarf KIC-3239945. With a radius of (0.91+/- 0.02) {R}{{J}}, a low orbital eccentricity ({0.06}-0.04+0.10), and an equilibrium temperature of (131+/- 3) K, Kepler-167e bears many of the basic hallmarks of Jupiter. Kepler-167e is accompanied by three Super-Earths on compact orbits, which we also validate, leaving a large cavity of transiting worlds around the habitable-zone. With two transits and continuous photometric coverage, we are able to uniquely and precisely measure the orbital period of this post snow-line planet (1071.2323 ± 0.0006d), paving the way for follow-up of this K = 11.8 mag target.

  8. An Analog Computer for Electronic Engineering Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitch, A. L.; Iu, H. H. C.; Lu, D. D. C.

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes a compact analog computer and proposes its use in electronic engineering teaching laboratories to develop student understanding of applications in analog electronics, electronic components, engineering mathematics, control engineering, safe laboratory and workshop practices, circuit construction, testing, and maintenance. The…

  9. The interplay of conflict and analogy in multidisciplinary teams.

    PubMed

    Paletz, Susannah B F; Schunn, Christian D; Kim, Kevin H

    2013-01-01

    Creative teamwork in multidisciplinary teams is a topic of interest to cognitive psychologists on the one hand, and to both social and organizational psychologists on the other. However, the interconnections between cognitive and social layers have been rarely explored. Drawing on mental models and dissonance theories, the current study takes a central variable studied by cognitive psychologists-analogy-and examines its relationship to a central variable examined by social psychologists-conflict. In an observational, field study, over 11h of audio-video data from conversations of the Mars Exploration Rover scientists were coded for different types of analogy and micro-conflicts that reveal the character of underlying psychological mechanisms. Two different types of time-lagged logistic models applied to these data revealed asymmetric patterns of associations between analogy and conflict. Within-domain analogies, but not within-discipline or outside-discipline analogies, preceded science and work process conflicts, suggesting that in multidisciplinary teams, representational gaps in very close domains will be more likely to spark conflict. But analogies also occurred in reaction to conflict: Process and negative conflicts, but not task conflicts, preceded within-discipline analogies, but not to within-domain or outside-discipline analogies. This study demonstrates ways in which cognition can be bidirectionally tied to social processes and discourse. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Fluorinated analogs of malachite green: synthesis and toxicity.

    PubMed

    Kraus, George A; Jeon, Insik; Nilsen-Hamilton, Marit; Awad, Ahmed M; Banerjee, Jayeeta; Parvin, Bahram

    2008-04-27

    A series of fluorinated analogs of malachite green (MG) have been synthesized and their toxicity to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a human ovarian epithelial cell line examined. The toxicity profiles were found to be different for these two species. Two analogs, one with 2,4-difluoro substitution and the other with 2-fluoro substitution seem to be the most promising analogs because they showed the lowest toxicity to the human cells.

  11. Reconfigurable Analog PDE computation for Baseband and RFComputation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-03-01

    waveguiding PDEs. One-dimensional ladder topologies enable linear delays, linear-phase analog filters , as well as analog beamforming, potentially at RF...performance. This discussion focuses on ODE / PDE analog computation available in SoC FPAA structures. One such computation is a ladder filter (Fig...Implementation of a one-dimensional ladder filter for computing inductor (L) and capacitor (C) lines. These components can be implemented in CABs or as

  12. Synthetic heparin-binding growth factor analogs

    DOEpatents

    Pena, Louis A.; Zamora, Paul; Lin, Xinhua; Glass, John D.

    2007-01-23

    The invention provides synthetic heparin-binding growth factor analogs having at least one peptide chain that binds a heparin-binding growth factor receptor, covalently bound to a hydrophobic linker, which is in turn covalently bound to a non-signaling peptide that includes a heparin-binding domain. The synthetic heparin-binding growth factor analogs are useful as soluble biologics or as surface coatings for medical devices.

  13. Immune Function Changes during a Spaceflight-Analog Undersea Mission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crucian, Brian; Stowe, Raymond; Mehta, Satish; Quiniarte, Heather; Yetman, Deborah; Pierson, Duane; Sams, Clarence

    2008-01-01

    There is ample evidence to suggest that space flight leads to immune system dysregulation. This may be a result of microgravity, confinement, physiological stress, radiation, environment or other mission-associated factors. It is attractive to utilize ground-based spaceflight analogs as appropriate to investigate this phenomenon. For spaceflight-associated immune dysregulation (SAID), the authors believe the most appropriate analogs might be NEEMO (short duration, Shuttle analog), Antarctic winter-over (long-duration, ISS analog) and the Haughton Mars Project in the Canadian Arctic (intermediate-duration). Each of these analogs replicate isolation, mission-associated stress, disrupted circadian rhythms, and other aspects of flight thought to contribute to SAID. To validate NEEMO as a flight analog with respect to SAID, a pilot study was conducted during the NEEMO-12 and 13 missions during 2007. Assays were performed that assessed immune status, physiological stress and latent viral reactivation. Blood and saliva samples were collected at pre-, mid-, and post-mission timepoints.

  14. Synthetic heparin-binding factor analogs

    DOEpatents

    Pena, Louis A [Poquott, NY; Zamora, Paul O [Gaithersburg, MD; Lin, Xinhua [Plainview, NY; Glass, John D [Shoreham, NY

    2010-04-20

    The invention provides synthetic heparin-binding growth factor analogs having at least one peptide chain, and preferably two peptide chains branched from a dipeptide branch moiety composed of two trifunctional amino acid residues, which peptide chain or chains bind a heparin-binding growth factor receptor and are covalently bound to a non-signaling peptide that includes a heparin-binding domain, preferably by a linker, which may be a hydrophobic linker. The synthetic heparin-binding growth factor analogs are useful as pharmaceutical agents, soluble biologics or as surface coatings for medical devices.

  15. An analog silicon retina with multichip configuration.

    PubMed

    Kameda, Seiji; Yagi, Tetsuya

    2006-01-01

    The neuromorphic silicon retina is a novel analog very large scale integrated circuit that emulates the structure and the function of the retinal neuronal circuit. We fabricated a neuromorphic silicon retina, in which sample/hold circuits were embedded to generate fluctuation-suppressed outputs in the previous study [1]. The applications of this silicon retina, however, are limited because of a low spatial resolution and computational variability. In this paper, we have fabricated a multichip silicon retina in which the functional network circuits are divided into two chips: the photoreceptor network chip (P chip) and the horizontal cell network chip (H chip). The output images of the P chip are transferred to the H chip with analog voltages through the line-parallel transfer bus. The sample/hold circuits embedded in the P and H chips compensate for the pattern noise generated on the circuits, including the analog communication pathway. Using the multichip silicon retina together with an off-chip differential amplifier, spatial filtering of the image with an odd- and an even-symmetric orientation selective receptive fields was carried out in real time. The analog data transfer method in the present multichip silicon retina is useful to design analog neuromorphic multichip systems that mimic the hierarchical structure of neuronal networks in the visual system.

  16. Reynolds analogy for the Rayleigh problem at various flow modes.

    PubMed

    Abramov, A A; Butkovskii, A V

    2016-07-01

    The Reynolds analogy and the extended Reynolds analogy for the Rayleigh problem are considered. For a viscous incompressible fluid we derive the Reynolds analogy as a function of the Prandtl number and the Eckert number. We show that for any positive Eckert number, the Reynolds analogy as a function of the Prandtl number has a maximum. For a monatomic gas in the transitional flow regime, using the direct simulation Monte Carlo method, we investigate the extended Reynolds analogy, i.e., the relation between the shear stress and the energy flux transferred to the boundary surface, at different velocities and temperatures. We find that the extended Reynolds analogy for a rarefied monatomic gas flow with the temperature of the undisturbed gas equal to the surface temperature depends weakly on time and is close to 0.5. We show that at any fixed dimensionless time the extended Reynolds analogy depends on the plate velocity and temperature and undisturbed gas temperature mainly via the Eckert number. For Eckert numbers of the order of unity or less we generalize an extended Reynolds analogy. The generalized Reynolds analogy depends mainly only on dimensionless time for all considered Eckert numbers of the order of unity or less.

  17. Two analogy strategies: the cases of mind metaphors and introspection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fischer, Eugen

    2018-04-01

    Analogical reasoning is often employed in problem-solving and metaphor interpretation. This paper submits that, as a default, analogical reasoning addressing these different tasks employs different mapping strategies. In problem-solving, it employs analogy-maximising strategies (like structure mapping, Gentner, D., & Markman, A. B. (1997). Structure mapping in analogy and similarity. American Psychologist, 52, 45-56); in metaphor interpretation, analogy-minimising strategies (like ATT-Meta, Barnden, J. A. (2015). Open-ended elaborations in creative metaphor. In T. R. Besold, M. Schorlemmer, & A. Smaill (Eds.), Computational creativity research: Towards creative machines (pp. 217-242). Berlin: Springer). The two strategies interact in analogical reasoning with conceptual metaphors. This interaction leads to predictable fallacies. The paper supports these hypotheses through case-studies on "mind" metaphors from ordinary discourse, and abstract problem-solving in the philosophy of mind, respectively. It shows that (1) default metaphorical interpretations for vision- and space-cognition metaphors can be derived with a variant of the analogy-minimising ATT-Meta approach, (2) philosophically influential introspective conceptions of the mind can be derived with conceptual metaphors only through an analogy-maximising strategy, and (3) the interaction of these strategies leads to hitherto unrecognised fallacies in analogical reasoning with metaphors. This yields a debunking explanation of introspective conceptions.

  18. Analog Nonvolatile Computer Memory Circuits

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    MacLeod, Todd

    2007-01-01

    In nonvolatile random-access memory (RAM) circuits of a proposed type, digital data would be stored in analog form in ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FFETs). This type of memory circuit would offer advantages over prior volatile and nonvolatile types: In a conventional complementary metal oxide/semiconductor static RAM, six transistors must be used to store one bit, and storage is volatile in that data are lost when power is turned off. In a conventional dynamic RAM, three transistors must be used to store one bit, and the stored bit must be refreshed every few milliseconds. In contrast, in a RAM according to the proposal, data would be retained when power was turned off, each memory cell would contain only two FFETs, and the cell could store multiple bits (the exact number of bits depending on the specific design). Conventional flash memory circuits afford nonvolatile storage, but they operate at reading and writing times of the order of thousands of conventional computer memory reading and writing times and, hence, are suitable for use only as off-line storage devices. In addition, flash memories cease to function after limited numbers of writing cycles. The proposed memory circuits would not be subject to either of these limitations. Prior developmental nonvolatile ferroelectric memories are limited to one bit per cell, whereas, as stated above, the proposed memories would not be so limited. The design of a memory circuit according to the proposal must reflect the fact that FFET storage is only partly nonvolatile, in that the signal stored in an FFET decays gradually over time. (Retention times of some advanced FFETs exceed ten years.) Instead of storing a single bit of data as either a positively or negatively saturated state in a ferroelectric device, each memory cell according to the proposal would store two values. The two FFETs in each cell would be denoted the storage FFET and the control FFET. The storage FFET would store an analog signal value

  19. Lipoxins and novel 15-epi-lipoxin analogs display potent anti-inflammatory actions after oral administration.

    PubMed

    Bannenberg, Gerard; Moussignac, Rose-Laure; Gronert, Karsten; Devchand, Pallavi R; Schmidt, Birgitta A; Guilford, William J; Bauman, John G; Subramanyam, Babu; Perez, H Daniel; Parkinson, John F; Serhan, Charles N

    2004-09-01

    1. Lipoxins (LX) and aspirin-triggered 15-epi-lipoxins (ATL) exert potent anti-inflammatory actions. In the present study, we determined the anti-inflammatory efficacy of endogenous LXA(4) and LXB(4), the stable ATL analog ATLa2, and a series of novel 3-oxa-ATL analogs (ZK-996, ZK-990, ZK-994, and ZK-142) after intravenous, oral, and topical administration in mice. 2. LXA(4), LXB(4), ATLa2, and ZK-994 were orally active, exhibiting potent systemic inhibition of zymosan A-induced peritonitis at very low doses (50 ng kg(-1)-50 microg kg(-1)). 3. Intravenous ZK-994 and ZK-142 (500 microg kg(-1)) potently attenuated hind limb ischemia/reperfusion-induced lung injury, with 32+/-12 and 53+/-5% inhibition (P<0.05), respectively, of neutrophil accumulation in lungs. The same dose of ATLa2 had no significant protective action. 4. Topical application of ATLa2, ZK-994, and ZK-142 ( approximately 20 microg cm(-2)) prevented vascular leakage and neutrophil infiltration in LTB(4)/PGE(2)-stimulated ear skin inflammation. While ATLa2 and ZK-142 displayed approximately equal anti-inflammatory efficacy in this model, ZK-994 displayed a slower onset of action. 5. In summary, native LXA(4) and LXB(4), and analogs ATLa2, ZK-142, and ZK-994 retain broad anti-inflammatory effects after intravenous, oral, and topical administration. The 3-oxa-ATL analogs, which have enhanced metabolic and chemical stability and a superior pharmacokinetic profile, provide new opportunities to explore the actions and therapeutic potential for LX and ATL.

  20. Military Importance of Natural Toxins and Their Analogs.

    PubMed

    Pitschmann, Vladimír; Hon, Zdeněk

    2016-04-28

    Toxin weapon research, development, production and the ban on its uses is an integral part of international law, with particular attention paid to the protection against these weapons. In spite of this, hazards associated with toxins cannot be completely excluded. Some of these hazards are also pointed out in the present review. The article deals with the characteristics and properties of natural toxins and synthetic analogs potentially constituting the basis of toxin weapons. It briefly describes the history of military research and the use of toxins from distant history up to the present age. With respect to effective disarmament conventions, it mentions certain contemporary concepts of possible toxin applications for military purposes and the protection of public order (suppression of riots); it also briefly refers to the question of terrorism. In addition, it deals with certain traditional as well as modern technologies of the research, synthesis, and use of toxins, which can affect the continuing development of toxin weapons. These are, for example, cases of new toxins from natural sources, their chemical synthesis, production of synthetic analogs, the possibility of using methods of genetic engineering and modern biotechnologies or the possible applications of nanotechnology and certain pharmaceutical methods for the effective transfer of toxins into the organism. The authors evaluate the military importance of toxins based on their comparison with traditional chemical warfare agents. They appeal to the ethics of the scientific work as a principal condition for the prevention of toxin abuse in wars, military conflicts, as well as in non-military attacks.

  1. Arterial Pressure Analog.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heusner, A. A.; Tracy, M. L.

    1980-01-01

    Describes a simple hydraulic analog which allows students to explore some physical aspects of the cardiovascular system and provides them with a means to visualize and conceptualize these basic principles. Simulates the behavior of arterial pressure in response to changes in heart rate, stroke volume, arterial compliance, and peripheral…

  2. Analog of parental empathy: association with physical child abuse risk and punishment intentions.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, Christina M

    2013-08-01

    Current research has been inconsistent in corroborating that parents' compromised empathy is associated with elevated physical child abuse risk, perhaps in part because of an emphasis on dispositional empathy rather than empathy directed at their own children. Research has also relied on self-reports of empathy that are susceptible to participant misrepresentation. The present study utilized an analog task of parental empathy to investigate the association of parental empathy toward one's own child with physical child abuse potential and with their tendency to punish perceived child misbehavior. A sample of 135 mothers and their 4-9 year old children were recruited, with mothers estimating their children's emotional reactions using a behavioral simulation of parental empathy. Mothers also provided self-reports on two measures of child abuse potential, a measure of negative attributions and expected punishment of children using vignettes, as well as a traditional measure of dispositional empathic concern and perspective-taking. Findings suggest that parental demonstration of poorer empathic ability on the analog task was significantly related to increased physical abuse potential, likelihood to punish, and negative child attributions. However, self-reported dispositional empathy exhibited the pattern of inconsistent associations previously observed in the literature. Parental empathy appears to be a relevant target for prevention and intervention programs. Future research should also consider similar analog approaches to investigate such constructs to better uncover the factors that elevate abuse risk. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Rotanone analogs: method of preparation and use

    DOEpatents

    VanBrocklin, Henry F; O& #x27; Neil, James P; Gibbs, Andrew R; Erathodiyil, Nandanan

    2013-10-08

    The present invention provides rotenone analogs and methods of making and using them. Labeled with single photon and positron emitting isotopes, the rotenone analogs of the present invention are useful in, for example, clinical imaging applications as tracers to measure cardiac blood flow and detect regions of ischemia.

  4. Analogical Instruction in Statistics: Implications for Social Work Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, Leela

    2008-01-01

    This paper examines the use of analogies in statistics instruction. Much has been written about the difficulty social work students have with statistics. To address this concern, Glisson and Fischer (1987) called for the use of analogies. Understanding of analogical problem solving has surged in the last few decades with the integration of…

  5. Modern Communication: Exploring Physiological Transmission through Tech-Savvy Analogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hollabaugh, Christopher R.; Milanick, Mark A.

    2014-01-01

    Analogies are often helpful for students to grasp key physiological concepts; sometimes the technical jargon makes the concept seem more complex than it actually is. In this article the authors provide several analogies for information transfer processes that sometimes confuse students. For an analogy to be useful, of course, it needs to be…

  6. Analogical acts as conceptual strategies in science, engineering and the humanities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Winkler, V. M.

    1981-01-01

    The composing models which operate by means of analogy are identified. The importance of analogical acts in the prewriting stage of the composing process is discussed. The relations between analogical acts and concept formation are explored. A basic correspondence between the analogical thinking employed in successful learning and analogical thinking as a composing strategy is discussed. Teaching analogical acts as conceptual strategies for exploring problems and generating the form and content of discourse is presented in support of the contention that writing is a unique mode of learning.

  7. Hygroscopicity of Early Earth and Titan Laboratory Aerosol Analogs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasenkopf, C. A.; Beaver, M. R.; Freedman, M. A.; Toon, O. B.; Tolbert, M. A.

    2009-12-01

    We have explored the ability of organic hazes, known to exist in the atmosphere of Titan and postulated to have existed in the Archean Earth atmosphere, to act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). These laboratory aerosol analogs are generated via UV-photolysis of early Earth and Titan analog gas mixtures and are designed to mimic the present day atmospheric conditions on Titan and the early Earth atmosphere before the rise of oxygen. Water uptake is observed to occur on the early Earth and Titan aerosol analogs at relative humidities of 80% - 90% via optical growth measurements using cavity ring-down aerosol extinction spectroscopy. We find the optical growth of these aerosols is similar to known slightly-soluble organic acids, such as phthalic and pyromellitic acids. On average, the optical growth of the early Earth analog is slightly larger than the Titan analog. In order to translate our measurements obtained in a subsaturated regime into the CCN ability of these particles, we rely on the hygroscopicity parameter κ, developed by Petters & Kreidenweis (2007). We retrieve κ = 0.17±0.03 and 0.06±0.01 for the early Earth and Titan analogs, respectively. This early Earth analog hygroscopicity value indicates that the aerosol could activate at reasonable water vapor supersaturations. We use previous aerosol mass spectrometry results to correlate the chemical structure of the two types of analog with their hygroscopicity. The hygroscopicity of the early Earth aerosol analog, coupled with the apparent lack of other good CCN during the Archean, helps explain the role of the organic haze in the indirect effect of clouds on the early Earth and indicates that it may have had a significant impact on the hydrological cycle.

  8. Abstract analogical reasoning in high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorders.

    PubMed

    Green, Adam E; Kenworthy, Lauren; Mosner, Maya G; Gallagher, Natalie M; Fearon, Edward W; Balhana, Carlos D; Yerys, Benjamin E

    2014-12-01

    Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibit a deficit in spontaneously recognizing abstract similarities that are crucial for generalizing learning to new situations. This may contribute to deficits in the development of appropriate schemas for navigating novel situations, including social interactions. Analogical reasoning is the central cognitive mechanism that enables typically developing children to understand abstract similarities between different situations. Intriguingly, studies of high-functioning children with ASD point to a relative cognitive strength in basic, nonabstract forms of analogical reasoning. If this analogical reasoning ability extends to abstract analogical reasoning (i.e., between superficially dissimilar situations), it may provide a bridge between a cognitive capability and core ASD deficits in areas such as generalization and categorization. This study tested whether preserved analogical reasoning abilities in ASD can be extended to abstract analogical reasoning, using photographs of real-world items and situations. Abstractness of the analogies was determined via a quantitative measure of semantic distance derived from latent semantic analysis. Children with ASD performed as well as typically developing children at identifying abstract analogical similarities when explicitly instructed to apply analogical reasoning. Individual differences in abstract analogical reasoning ability predicted individual differences in a measure of social function in the ASD group. Preliminary analyses indicated that children with ASD, but not typically developing children, showed an effect of age on abstract analogical reasoning. These results provide new evidence that children with ASD are capable of identifying abstract similarities through analogical reasoning, pointing to abstract analogical reasoning as a potential lever for improving generalization skills and social function in ASD. © 2014 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley

  9. Quantum Analog Computing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zak, M.

    1998-01-01

    Quantum analog computing is based upon similarity between mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics and phenomena to be computed. It exploits a dynamical convergence of several competing phenomena to an attractor which can represent an externum of a function, an image, a solution to a system of ODE, or a stochastic process.

  10. Predicting Naming Latencies with an Analogical Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chandler, Steve

    2008-01-01

    Skousen's (1989, Analogical modeling of language, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht) Analogical Model (AM) predicts behavior such as spelling pronunciation by comparing the characteristics of a test item (a given input word) to those of individual exemplars in a data set of previously encountered items. While AM and other exemplar-based models…

  11. Phonological Priming and Orthographic Analogies in Reading.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goswami, Usha

    1990-01-01

    Findings of two experiments involving young children at a reading level of six years to six years, nine months suggest that phonological priming is an insufficient explanation of the analogy effect at the single word level. Phonological priming plays no role in the use of analogies in story reading. (RH)

  12. Triptycene analogs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hua, Duy (Inventor); Perchellet, Jean-Pierre (Inventor)

    2004-01-01

    This invention provides analogs of triptycene which are useful as anticancer drugs, as well as for other uses. The potency of these compounds is in a similar magnitude as daunomycin, a currently used anticancer drug. Each compound of the invention produces one or more desired effects (blocking nucleoside transport, inhibiting nucleic acid or protein syntheses, decreasing the proliferation and viability of cancer cells, inducing DNA fragmentation or retaining their effectiveness against multidrug-resistant tumor cells).

  13. Gravitoelectromagnetic analogy based on tidal tensors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Costa, L. Filipe O.; Herdeiro, Carlos A. R.

    2008-07-15

    We propose a new approach to a physical analogy between general relativity and electromagnetism, based on tidal tensors of both theories. Using this approach we write a covariant form for the gravitational analogues of the Maxwell equations, which makes transparent both the similarities and key differences between the two interactions. The following realizations of the analogy are given. The first one matches linearized gravitational tidal tensors to exact electromagnetic tidal tensors in Minkowski spacetime. The second one matches exact magnetic gravitational tidal tensors for ultrastationary metrics to exact magnetic tidal tensors of electromagnetism in curved spaces. In the third wemore » show that our approach leads to a two-step exact derivation of Papapetrou's equation describing the force exerted on a spinning test particle. Analogous scalar invariants built from tidal tensors of both theories are also discussed.« less

  14. ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS OF ANALOG COMPUTERS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bryant, L.T.; Janicke, M.J.; Just, L.C.

    1963-10-31

    Six experiments from the fields of reactor engineering, heat transfer, and dynamics are presented to illustrate the engineering applications of analog computers. The steps required for producing the analog solution are shown, as well as complete information for duplicating the solution. Graphical results are provided. The experiments include: deceleration of a reactor control rod, pressure variations through a packed bed, reactor kinetics over many decades with thermal feedback, a vibrating system with two degrees of freedom, temperature distribution in a radiating fin, temperature distribution in an infinite slab considering variable thermal properties, and iodine -xenon buildup in a reactor. (M.C.G.)

  15. Transistor analogs of emergent iono-neuronal dynamics.

    PubMed

    Rachmuth, Guy; Poon, Chi-Sang

    2008-06-01

    Neuromorphic analog metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) transistor circuits promise compact, low-power, and high-speed emulations of iono-neuronal dynamics orders-of-magnitude faster than digital simulation. However, their inherently limited input voltage dynamic range vs power consumption and silicon die area tradeoffs makes them highly sensitive to transistor mismatch due to fabrication inaccuracy, device noise, and other nonidealities. This limitation precludes robust analog very-large-scale-integration (aVLSI) circuits implementation of emergent iono-neuronal dynamics computations beyond simple spiking with limited ion channel dynamics. Here we present versatile neuromorphic analog building-block circuits that afford near-maximum voltage dynamic range operating within the low-power MOS transistor weak-inversion regime which is ideal for aVLSI implementation or implantable biomimetic device applications. The fabricated microchip allowed robust realization of dynamic iono-neuronal computations such as coincidence detection of presynaptic spikes or pre- and postsynaptic activities. As a critical performance benchmark, the high-speed and highly interactive iono-neuronal simulation capability on-chip enabled our prompt discovery of a minimal model of chaotic pacemaker bursting, an emergent iono-neuronal behavior of fundamental biological significance which has hitherto defied experimental testing or computational exploration via conventional digital or analog simulations. These compact and power-efficient transistor analogs of emergent iono-neuronal dynamics open new avenues for next-generation neuromorphic, neuroprosthetic, and brain-machine interface applications.

  16. Loss of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins as a determinant of polyamine analog-induced apoptosis in human melanoma cells.

    PubMed

    Chen, Ying; Kramer, Debora L; Li, Fengzhi; Porter, Carl W

    2003-08-07

    We have previously shown that the clinically relevant polyamine analog N1,N11-diethylnorspermine (DENSPM) causes rapid apoptosis in human melanoma SK-MEL-28 cells via a series of events that include mitochondrial release of cytochrome c and activation of the caspase cascade. Upstream to these events, DENSPM downregulates polyamine biosynthesis and potently upregulates polyamine catabolism at the level of spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT). In searching for downstream effectors that either contribute to or abrogate the apoptotic response, we observed that DENSPM treatment of SK-MEL-28 cells for 30 h led to cytosolic release of Smac/Diablo, a mitochondrial protein known to bind and inhibit the function of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs). Subsequently, we found that DENSPM markedly lowered survivin and ML-IAP protein (but not XIAP) levels by 18 h via an apparently Smac/Diablo-independent pathway. Proteasome inhibitors fully prevented survivin and ML-IAP protein loss as well as apoptosis, suggesting that the proteasome-mediated degradation of survivin and ML-IAP is causally linked to the cellular outcome. We also observed that structural analogs of DENSPM which differentially induced SSAT and apoptosis lowered survivin and ML-IAP levels in a manner that correlated with enzyme activity. The linkage between IAPs and SSAT was more directly established by the finding that selective prevention of SSAT induction by small interfering RNA prevented survivin and ML-IAP loss as well as apoptosis during DENSPM treatment. Among the melanoma cell lines (SK-MEL-28, MALME-3M, A375 and LOX), survivin degradation correlated temporally with the onset of DENSPM induced apoptosis or growth inhibition. By contrast, ML-IAP degradation occurred only during rapid apoptosis seen in SK-MEL-28 cells. These data suggest a sequence of events whereby DENSPM induction of SSAT leads to loss of IAP proteins and a more fulminate apoptotic response. The findings implicate survivin

  17. Analog Building Blocks for Communications Modems.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1977-01-01

    x*—*- A0-A039 82b ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS INC ST PETERSBURG FLA F/6 9/5 ANALOG BUILDING BLOCKS FOR COMMUNICATIONS MODEMS .(U) JAN 77 B BLACK...F33615-7<t-C-1120 UNCLASSIFIED AFAL-TR-76-29 NL ANALOG BUILDING BLOCKS FOR COMMUNICATIONS MODEMS ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS INC. A SUBSIDIARY OF...Idantltr Or Mac* numb*,; Avionics Building-Block modules Frequency Synthesize* Costas Demodulator Amplifier Modem Frequency Multiplier ’ -^ « TRACT

  18. Mathematical Analogs and the Teaching of Fractions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Charles, Kathy; Nason, Rod; Cooper, Tom

    The literature has noted that some mathematical analogs are more effective than others for the teaching of fractions. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of seven mathematical analogs commonly used in the teaching of the partitive quotient fraction construct. A sample of twelve purposively selected Year Three children were presented with…

  19. Young Children's Analogical Reasoning in Science Domains

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haglund, Jesper; Jeppsson, Fredrik; Andersson, Johanna

    2012-01-01

    This exploratory study in a classroom setting investigates first graders' (age 7-8 years, N = 25) ability to perform analogical reasoning and create their own analogies for two irreversible natural phenomena: mixing and heat transfer. We found that the children who contributed actively to a full-class discussion were consistently successful at…

  20. Children's Use of Analogy during Collaborative Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Tzu-Jung; Anderson, Richard C.; Hummel, John E.; Jadallah, May; Miller, Brian W.; Nguyen-Jahiel, Kim; Morris, Joshua A.; Kuo, Li-Jen; Kim, Il-Hee; Wu, Xiaoying; Dong, Ting

    2012-01-01

    This microgenetic study examined social influences on children's development of analogical reasoning during peer-led small-group discussions of stories about controversial issues. A total of 277 analogies were identified among 7,215 child turns for speaking during 54 discussions from 18 discussion groups in 6 fourth-grade classrooms (N = 120; age…

  1. Self-Generated Analogical Models of Respiratory Pathways

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Yeung Chung

    2015-01-01

    Self-generated analogical models have emerged recently as alternatives to teacher-supplied analogies and seem to have good potential to promote deep learning and scientific thinking. However, studies of the ways and contexts in which students generate these models are still too limited to allow a fuller appraisal of these models' effectiveness in…

  2. Molecular Interactions between (−)-Epigallocatechin Gallate Analogs and Pancreatic Lipase

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Shihui; Sun, Zeya; Dong, Shengzhao; Liu, Yang; Liu, Yun

    2014-01-01

    The molecular interactions between pancreatic lipase (PL) and four tea polyphenols (EGCG analogs), like (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), (−)-gallocatechin gallate (GCG), (−)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), and (−)-epigallocatechin (EC), were studied from PL activity, conformation, kinetics and thermodynamics. It was observed that EGCG analogs inhibited PL activity, and their inhibitory rates decreased by the order of EGCG>GCG>ECG>EC. PL activity at first decreased rapidly and then slowly with the increase of EGCG analogs concentrations. α-Helix content of PL secondary structure decreased dependent on EGCG analogs concentration by the order of EGCG>GCG>ECG>EC. EGCG, ECG, and EC could quench PL fluorescence both dynamically and statically, while GCG only quenched statically. EGCG analogs would induce PL self-assembly into complexes and the hydrodynamic radii of the complexes possessed a close relationship with the inhibitory rates. Kinetics analysis showed that EGCG analogs non-competitively inhibited PL activity and did not bind to PL catalytic site. DSC measurement revealed that EGCG analogs decreased the transition midpoint temperature of PL enzyme, suggesting that these compounds reduced PL enzyme thermostability. In vitro renaturation through urea solution indicated that interactions between PL and EGCG analogs were weak and non-covalent. PMID:25365042

  3. Analogical Reasoning in the Engineering Design Process and Technology Education Applications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daugherty, Jenny; Mentzer, Nathan

    2008-01-01

    This synthesis paper discusses the research exploring analogical reasoning, the role of analogies in the engineering design process, and educational applications for analogical reasoning. Researchers have discovered that analogical reasoning is often a fundamental cognitive tool in design problem solving. Regarding the possible role of analogical…

  4. A Study on Analogies Used in New Ninth Grade Biology Textbook

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dikmenli, Musa

    2015-01-01

    Analogies have many advantages for students such as concretizing abstract concepts and enabling motivation. Analogies are frequently used in textbooks. Research shows that the analogies in textbooks are not used based on certain directives and sometimes lead to misconceptions for students. Therefore, analysing the analogies in textbooks on several…

  5. Analog hardware for learning neural networks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eberhardt, Silvio P. (Inventor)

    1991-01-01

    This is a recurrent or feedforward analog neural network processor having a multi-level neuron array and a synaptic matrix for storing weighted analog values of synaptic connection strengths which is characterized by temporarily changing one connection strength at a time to determine its effect on system output relative to the desired target. That connection strength is then adjusted based on the effect, whereby the processor is taught the correct response to training examples connection by connection.

  6. On Lovelock analogs of the Riemann tensor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Camanho, Xián O.; Dadhich, Naresh

    2016-03-01

    It is possible to define an analog of the Riemann tensor for Nth order Lovelock gravity, its characterizing property being that the trace of its Bianchi derivative yields the corresponding analog of the Einstein tensor. Interestingly there exist two parallel but distinct such analogs and the main purpose of this note is to reconcile both formulations. In addition we will introduce a simple tensor identity and use it to show that any pure Lovelock vacuum in odd d=2N+1 dimensions is Lovelock flat, i.e. any vacuum solution of the theory has vanishing Lovelock-Riemann tensor. Further, in the presence of cosmological constant it is the Lovelock-Weyl tensor that vanishes.

  7. The Discourse on Printed and Electronic Books: Analogies, Oppositions, and Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Velagic, Zoran

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: The point of departure for this paper is the twofold analogy (analogy of content, analogy of medium) between printed and electronic books, the aim being to draw attention to the usual perception of their capacities and relationships, to provide a rather detailed analysis of the outcome and sustainability of such analogies and…

  8. Aseptically Sampled Organics in Subsurface Rocks From the Mars Analog Rio Tinto Experiment: An Analog For The Search for Deep Subsurface Life on Mars.}

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonaccorsi, R.; Stoker, C. R.

    2005-12-01

    The subsurface is the key environment for searching for life on planets lacking surface life. Subsurface ecosystems are of great relevance to astrobiology including the search for past/present life on Mars. The surface of Mars has conditions preventing current life but the subsurface might preserve organics and even host some life [1]. The Mars-Analog-Rio-Tinto-Experiment (MARTE) is performing a simulation of a Mars drilling experiment. This comprises conventional and robotic drilling of cores in a volcanically-hosted-massive-pyrite deposit [2] from the Iberian Pyritic Belt (IBP) and life detection experiments applying anti-contamination protocols (e.g., ATP Luminometry assay). The RT is considered an important analog of the Sinus Meridiani site on Mars and an ideal model analog for a deep subsurface Martian environment. Former results from MARTE suggest the existence of a relatively complex subsurface life including aerobic and anaerobic chemoautotrophs and strict anaerobic methanogens sustained by Fe and S minerals in anoxic conditions. A key requirement for the analysis of a subsurface sample on Mars is a set of simple tests that can help determine if the sample contains organic material of biological origin, and its potential for retaining definitive biosignatures. We report here on the presence of bulk organic matter Corg (0.03-0.05 Wt%), and Ntot (0.01-0.04 Wt%) and amount of measured ATP (Lightning MVP, Biocontrol) in weathered rocks (tuffs, gossan, pyrite stockwork from Borehole #8; >166m). This provides key insight on the type of trophic system sustaining the subsurface biosphere (i.e., heterotrophs vs. autotrophs) at RT. ATP data (Relative-Luminosity-Units, RLU) provide information on possible contamination and distribution of viable biomass with core depth (BH#8, and BH#7, ~3m). Avg. 153 RLU, i.e., surface vs. center of core, suggest that cleaness/sterility can be maintained when using a simple sterile protocol under field conditions. Results from this

  9. Andrographolide, a New Hope in the Prevention and Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome.

    PubMed

    Islam, Muhammad T

    2017-01-01

    Recently, the use of plant-derived medicines is increasing interest in the prevention and treatment of a variety of disorders including metabolic syndromes. Metabolic syndrome is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and incidence of mortality worldwide. Scientific evidence suggests that Andrographis paniculata and its derived components, especially andrographolide (AGL) and its analogs/derivatives have a broad spectrum of biological activities. This review aims to sketch the activity of AGL and its analogs/derivatives against the components of metabolic syndromes such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and obesity. Additionally, AGL activity against CVDs is also summarized. The finding suggests that AGL and its analogs/derivatives have a potential role in the management of metabolic syndrome; however, more studies should be conducted to evaluate their effectiveness.

  10. Nitrate analogs as attractants for soybean cyst nematode.

    PubMed

    Hosoi, Akito; Katsuyama, Tsutomu; Sasaki, Yasuyuki; Kondo, Tatsuhiko; Yajima, Shunsuke; Ito, Shinsaku

    2017-08-01

    Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, a plant parasite, is one of the most serious pests of soybean. In this paper, we report that SCN is attracted to nitrate and its analogs. We performed attraction assays to screen for novel attractants for SCN and found that nitrates were attractants for SCN and SCN recognized nitrate gradients. However, attraction of SCN to nitrates was not observed on agar containing nitrate. To further elucidate the attraction mechanism in SCN, we performed attraction assays using nitrate analogs ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]). SCN was attracted to all nitrate analogs; however, attraction of SCN to nitrate analogs was not observed on agar containing nitrate. In contrast, SCN was attracted to azuki root, irrespective of presence or absence of nitrate in agar media. Our results suggest that the attraction mechanisms differ between plant-derived attractant and nitrate.

  11. NASA's Analog Missions: Driving Exploration Through Innovative Testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reagan, Marcum L.; Janoiko, Barbara A.; Parker, Michele L.; Johnson, James E.; Chappell, Steven P.; Abercromby, Andrew F.

    2012-01-01

    Human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO) will require a unique collection of advanced, innovative technologies and the precise execution of complex and challenging operational concepts. One tool we in the Analog Missions Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) utilize to validate exploration system architecture concepts and conduct technology demonstrations, while gaining a deeper understanding of system-wide technical and operational challenges, is our analog missions. Analog missions are multi-disciplinary activities that test multiple features of future spaceflight missions in an integrated fashion to gain a deeper understanding of system-level interactions and integrated operations. These missions frequently occur in remote and extreme environments that are representative in one or more ways to that of future spaceflight destinations. They allow us to test robotics, vehicle prototypes, habitats, communications systems, in-situ resource utilization, and human performance as it relates to these technologies. And they allow us to validate architectural concepts, conduct technology demonstrations, and gain a deeper understanding of system-wide technical and operational challenges needed to support crewed missions beyond LEO. As NASA develops a capability driven architecture for transporting crew to a variety of space environments, including the moon, near-Earth asteroids (NEA), Mars, and other destinations, it will use its analog missions to gather requirements and develop the technologies that are necessary to ensure successful human exploration beyond LEO. Currently, there are four analog mission platforms: Research and Technology Studies (RATS), NASA s Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO), In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), and International Space Station (ISS) Test bed for Analog Research (ISTAR).

  12. User-friendly design approach for analog layout design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yongfu; Lee, Zhao Chuan; Tripathi, Vikas; Perez, Valerio; Ong, Yoong Seang; Hui, Chiu Wing

    2017-03-01

    Analog circuits are sensitives to the changes in the layout environment conditions, manufacturing processes, and variations. This paper presents analog verification flow with five types of analogfocused layout constraint checks to assist engineers in identifying any potential device mismatch and layout drawing mistakes. Compared to several solutions, our approach only requires layout design, which is sufficient to recognize all the matched devices. Our approach simplifies the data preparation and allows seamless integration into the layout environment with minimum disruption to the custom layout flow. Our user-friendly analog verification flow provides the engineer with more confident with their layouts quality.

  13. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Neopeltolide and Analogs

    PubMed Central

    Cui, Yubo; Balachandran, Raghavan

    2012-01-01

    The synthesis of neopeltolide analogs that contain variations in the oxazole-containing side chain and in the macrolide core are reported along with the GI50 values for these compounds against MCF7, HCT-116, and p53 knockout HCT-116 cell lines. Although biological activity is sensitive to changes in the macrocycle and the side chain, several analogs displayed GI50 values of <25 nM. Neopeltolide and several of the more potent analogs were significantly less potent against p53 knockout cells, suggesting that p53 plays an auxiliary role in the activity of these compounds. PMID:22329423

  14. Spanish Velar-Insertion and Analogy: A Usage-Based Diachronic Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fondow, Steven Richard

    2010-01-01

    The theory of Analogical and Exemplar Modeling (AEM) suggests renewed discussion of the formalization of analogy and its possible incorporation in linguistic theory. AEM is a usage-based model founded upon Exemplar Modeling (Bybee 2007, Pierrehumbert 2001) that utilizes several principles of the Analogical Modeling of Language (Skousen 1992, 1995,…

  15. Multilateral Research Opportunities in Ground Analogs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Corbin, Barbara J.

    2015-01-01

    The global economy forces many nations to consider their national investments and make difficult decisions regarding their investment in future exploration. International collaboration provides an opportunity to leverage other nations' investments to meet common goals. The Humans In Space Community shares a common goal to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration within and beyond Low Earth Orbit. Meeting this goal requires efficient use of limited resources and International capabilities. The International Space Station (ISS) is our primary platform to conduct microgravity research targeted at reducing human health and performance risks for exploration missions. Access to ISS resources, however, is becoming more and more constrained and will only be available through 2020 or 2024. NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is actively pursuing methods to effectively utilize the ISS and appropriate ground analogs to understand and mitigate human health and performance risks prior to embarking on human exploration of deep space destinations. HRP developed a plan to use ground analogs of increasing fidelity to address questions related to exploration missions and is inviting International participation in these planned campaigns. Using established working groups and multilateral panels, the HRP is working with multiple Space Agencies to invite International participation in a series of 30- day missions that HRP will conduct in the US owned and operated Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) during 2016. In addition, the HRP is negotiating access to Antarctic stations (both US and non-US), the German :envihab and Russian NEK facilities. These facilities provide unique capabilities to address critical research questions requiring longer duration simulation or isolation. We are negotiating release of international research opportunities to ensure a multilateral approach to future analog research campaigns, hoping to begin multilateral campaigns in the

  16. Digital computer technique for setup and checkout of an analog computer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ambaruch, R.

    1968-01-01

    Computer program technique, called Analog Computer Check-Out Routine Digitally /ACCORD/, generates complete setup and checkout data for an analog computer. In addition, the correctness of the analog program implementation is validated.

  17. SSERVI Analog Regolith Simulant Testbed Facility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Minafra, J.; Schmidt, G. K.

    2016-12-01

    SSERVI's goals include supporting planetary researchers within NASA, other government agencies; private sector and hardware developers; competitors in focused prize design competitions; and academic sector researchers. The SSERVI Analog Regolith Simulant Testbed provides opportunities for research scientists and engineers to study the effects of regolith analog testbed research in the planetary exploration field. This capability is essential to help to understand the basic effects of continued long-term exposure to a simulated analog test environment. The current facility houses approximately eight tons of JSC-1A lunar regolith simulant in a test bin consisting of a 4 meter by 4 meter area. SSERVI provides a bridge between several groups, joining together researchers from: 1) scientific and exploration communities, 2) multiple disciplines across a wide range of planetary sciences, and 3) domestic and international communities and partnerships. This testbed provides a means of consolidating the tasks of acquisition, storage and safety mitigation in handling large quantities of regolith simulant Facility hardware and environment testing scenarios include, but are not limited to the following; Lunar surface mobility, Dust exposure and mitigation, Regolith handling and excavation, Solar-like illumination, Lunar surface compaction profile, Lofted dust, Mechanical properties of lunar regolith, and Surface features (i.e. grades and rocks) Numerous benefits vary from easy access to a controlled analog regolith simulant testbed, and planetary exploration activities at NASA Research Park, to academia and expanded commercial opportunities in California's Silicon Valley, as well as public outreach and education opportunities.

  18. Neuroscientific Insights into the Development of Analogical Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Whitaker, Kirstie J.; Vendetti, Michael S.; Wendelken, Carter; Bunge, Silvia A.

    2018-01-01

    Analogical reasoning, or the ability to find correspondences between entities based on shared relationships, supports knowledge acquisition. As such, the development of this ability during childhood is thought to promote learning. Here, we sought to better understand the mechanisms by which analogical reasoning about semantic relations improves…

  19. Cross-Domain Analogies as Relating Derived Relations among Two Separate Relational Networks

    PubMed Central

    Ruiz, Francisco J; Luciano, Carmen

    2011-01-01

    Contemporary behavior analytic research is making headway in analyzing analogy as the establishment of a relation of coordination among common types of trained or derived relations. Previous studies have been focused on within-domain analogy. The current study expands previous research by analyzing cross-domain analogy as relating relations among separate relational networks and by correlating participants' performance with a standard measure of analogical reasoning. In two experiments, adult participants first completed general intelligence and analogical reasoning tests. Subsequently, they were exposed to a computerized conditional discrimination training procedure designed to create two relational networks, each consisting of two 3-member equivalence classes. The critical test was a two-part analogical test in which participants had to relate combinatorial relations of coordination and distinction between the two relational networks. In Experiment 1, combinatorial relations for each network were individually tested prior to analogical testing, but in Experiment 2 they were not. Across both experiments, 65% of participants passed the analogical test on the first attempt. Moreover, results from the training procedure were strongly correlated with the standard measure of analogical reasoning. PMID:21547072

  20. ANALOG: a program for estimating paleoclimate parameters using the method of modern analogs

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schweitzer, Peter N.

    1994-01-01

    Beginning in the 1970s with CLIMAP, paleoclimatologists have been trying to derive quantitative estimates of climatic parameters from the sedimentary record. In general the procedure is to observe the modern distribution of some component of surface sediment that depends on climate, find an empirical relationship between climate and the character of sediments, then extrapolate past climate by studying older sediments in the same way. Initially the empirical relationship between climate and components of the sediment was determined using a multiple regression technique (Imbrie and Kipp, 1971). In these studies sea-floor sediments were examined to determine the percentage of various species of planktonic foraminifera present in them. Supposing that the distribution of foraminiferal assemblages depended strongly on the extremes of annual sea-surface temperature (SST), the foraminiferal assemblages (refined through use of varimax factor analysis) were regressed against the average SST during the coolest and warmest months of the year. The result was a set of transfer functions, equations that could be used to estimate cool and warm SST from the faunal composition of a sediment sample. Assuming that the ecological preference of the species had remained constant throughout the last several hundred thousand years, these transfer functions could be used to estimate SSTs during much of the late Pleistocene. Hutson (1980) and Overpeck, Webb, and Prentice (1985) proposed an alternative approach to estimating paleoclimatic parameters. Their 'method of modern analogs' revolved not around the existence of a few climatically-sensitive faunal assemblages but rather on the expectation that similar climatic regimes should foster similar faunal and floral assemblages. From a large pool of modern samples, those few are selected whose faunal compositions are most similar to a given fossil sample. Paleoclimate estimates are derived using the climatic character of only the most similar

  1. Engineering streptokinase for generation of active site-labeled plasminogen analogs*

    PubMed Central

    Laha, Malabika; Panizzi, Peter; Nahrendorf, Matthias; Bock, Paul E.

    2011-01-01

    We previously demonstrated that streptokinase (SK) can be used to generate active site-labeled fluorescent analogs of plasminogen (Pg) by virtue of its non-proteolytic activation of the zymogen. The method is versatile and allows for stoichiometric and active site-specific incorporation of any one of many molecular probes. The limitation of the labeling approach is that it is both time-consuming and low yield. Here we demonstrate an improved method for the preparation of labeled Pg analogs by the use of an engineered SK mutant fusion protein with both COOH- and NH2-terminal His6-tags. The NH2-terminal tag is followed by a tobacco etch virus proteinase cleavage site to ensure that the SK Ile1 residue, essential for conformational activation of Pg, is preserved. The SK COOH-terminal Lys414 residue and residues Arg253-Leu260 in the SK β-domain were deleted to prevent cleavage by plasmin (Pm), and to disable Pg substrate binding to the SK·Pg*/Pm catalytic complexes, respectively. Near-elimination of Pm generation with the SKΔ(R253-L260)ΔK414-His6 mutant increased the yield of labeled Pg 2.6-fold and reduced the time required >2-fold. The versatility of the labeling method was extended to the application of Pg labeled with a near-infrared probe to quantitate Pg receptors on immune cells by flow cytometry. PMID:21570944

  2. NMR Structural Studies of Antimicrobial Peptides: LPcin Analogs.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Ji-Ho; Kim, Ji-Sun; Choi, Sung-Sub; Kim, Yongae

    2016-01-19

    Lactophoricin (LPcin), a component of proteose peptone (113-135) isolated from bovine milk, is a cationic amphipathic antimicrobial peptide consisting of 23 amino acids. We designed a series of N- or C-terminal truncated variants, mutated analogs, and truncated mutated analogs using peptide-engineering techniques. Then, we selected three LPcin analogs of LPcin-C8 (LPcin-YK1), LPcin-T2WT6W (LPcin-YK2), and LPcin-T2WT6W-C8 (LPcin-YK3), which may have better antimicrobial activities than LPcin, and successfully expressed them in E. coli with high yield. We elucidated the 3D structures and topologies of the three LPcin analogs in membrane environments by conducting NMR structural studies. We investigated the purity of the LPcin analogs and the α-helical secondary structures by performing (1)H-(15)N 2D HSQC and HMQC-NOESY liquid-state NMR spectroscopy using protein-containing micelle samples. We measured the 3D structures and tilt angles in membranes by conducting (15)N 1D and 2D (1)H-(15)N SAMMY type solid-state NMR spectroscopy with an 800 MHz in-house-built (1)H-(15)N double-resonance solid-state NMR probe with a strip-shield coil, using protein-containing large bicelle samples aligned and confirmed by molecular-dynamics simulations. The three LPcin analogs were found to be curved α-helical structures, with tilt angles of 55-75° for normal membrane bilayers, and their enhanced activities may be correlated with these topologies. Copyright © 2016 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Spontaneous nucleotide exchange in low molecular weight GTPases by fluorescently labeled γ-phosphate-linked GTP analogs

    PubMed Central

    Korlach, Jonas; Baird, Daniel W.; Heikal, Ahmed A.; Gee, Kyle R.; Hoffman, Gregory R.; Webb, Watt W.

    2004-01-01

    Regulated guanosine nucleotide exchange and hydrolysis constitute the fundamental activities of low molecular weight GTPases. We show that three guanosine 5′-triphosphate analogs with BODIPY fluorophores coupled via the gamma phosphate bind to the GTPases Cdc42, Rac1, RhoA, and Ras and displace guanosine 5′-diphosphate with high intrinsic exchange rates in the presence of Mg2+ ions, thereby acting as synthetic, low molecular weight guanine nucleotide exchange factors. The accompanying large fluorescence enhancements (as high as 12-fold), caused by a reduction in guanine quenching of the environmentally sensitive BODIPY dye fluorescence on protein binding, allow for real-time monitoring of this spontaneous nucleotide exchange in the visible spectrum with high signal-to-noise ratios. Binding affinities increased with longer aliphatic linkers connecting the nucleotide and BODIPY fluorophore and were in the 10–100 nM range. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy showed an inverse relationship between linker length and fluorescence enhancement factors and differences in protein-bound fluorophore mobilities, providing optimization criteria for future applications of such compounds as efficient elicitors and reporters of nucleotide exchange. EDTA markedly enhanced nucleotide exchange, enabling rapid loading of GTPases with these probes. Differences in active site geometries, in the absence of Mg2+, caused qualitatively different reporting of the bound state by the different analogs. The BODIPY analogs also prevented the interaction of Cdc42 with p21 activated kinase. Together, these results validate the use of these analogs as valuable tools for studying GTPase functions and for developing potent synthetic nucleotide exchange factors for this important class of signaling molecules. PMID:14973186

  4. Examining the cognitive demands of analogy instructions compared to explicit instructions.

    PubMed

    Tse, Choi Yeung Andy; Wong, Andus; Whitehill, Tara; Ma, Estella; Masters, Rich

    2016-10-01

    In many learning domains, instructions are presented explicitly despite high cognitive demands associated with their processing. This study examined cognitive demands imposed on working memory by different types of instruction to speak with maximum pitch variation: visual analogy, verbal analogy and explicit verbal instruction. Forty participants were asked to memorise a set of 16 visual and verbal stimuli while reading aloud a Cantonese paragraph with maximum pitch variation. Instructions about how to achieve maximum pitch variation were presented via visual analogy, verbal analogy, explicit rules or no instruction. Pitch variation was assessed off-line, using standard deviation of fundamental frequency. Immediately after reading, participants recalled as many stimuli as possible. Analogy instructions resulted in significantly increased pitch variation compared to explicit instructions or no instructions. Explicit instructions resulted in poorest recall of stimuli. Visual analogy instructions resulted in significantly poorer recall of visual stimuli than verbal stimuli. The findings suggest that non-propositional instructions presented via analogy may be less cognitively demanding than instructions that are presented explicitly. Processing analogy instructions that are presented as a visual representation is likely to load primarily visuospatial components of working memory rather than phonological components. The findings are discussed with reference to speech therapy and human cognition.

  5. The Effectiveness of Teaching Science with Pictorial Analogies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Huann-shyang; And Others

    1996-01-01

    This study uses a conceptual problem-solving test to investigate the effect of a series of pictorial analogies on the concepts of density, pressure, and atmospheric pressure in Year Eight classrooms. Findings indicate that students taught with the pictorial analogies scored significantly higher than their counterparts. Low achievers were the most…

  6. A dark business, full of shadows: analogy and theology in William Harvey.

    PubMed

    Goldberg, Benjamin

    2013-09-01

    In a short work called De conceptione appended to the end of his Exercitationes de generatione animalium (1651), William Harvey developed a rather strange analogy. To explain how such marvelous productions as living beings were generated from the rather inauspicious ingredients of animal reproduction, Harvey argued that conception in the womb was like conception in the brain. It was mostly rejected at the time; it now seems a ludicrous theory based upon homonymy. However, this analogy offers insight into the structure and function of analogies in early modern natural philosophy. In this essay I hope to not only describe the complex nature of Harvey's analogy, but also offer a novel interpretation of his use of analogical reasoning, substantially revising the account offered by Guido Giglioni (1993). I discuss two points of conceptual change and negotiation in connection with Harvey's analogy, understanding it as both a confrontation between the border of the natural and the supernatural, as well as a moment in the history of psychology. My interpretation touches upon a number of important aspects, including why the analogy was rejected, how Harvey systematically deployed analogies according to his notions of natural philosophical method, how the analogy fits into contemporary discussions of analogies in science, and finally, how the analogy must be seen in the context of changing Renaissance notions of the science of the soul, ultimately confronting the problem of how to understand final causality in Aristotelian science. In connection with the last, I conclude the essay by turning to how Harvey embeds the analogy within a natural theological cosmology. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. Overview of the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Neigut, J.

    2015-01-01

    In 2013, the Human Research Program at NASA began developing a new confinement analog specifically for conducting research to investigate the effects of confinement on the human system. The HERA (Human Exploration Research Analog) habitat has been used for both 7 and 14 day missions to date to examine and mitigate exploration risks to enable safe, reliable and productive human space exploration. This presentation will describe how the Flight Analogs Project developed the HERA facility and the infrastructure to suit investigator requirements for confinement research and in the process developed a new approach to analog utilization and a new state of the art analog facility. Details regarding HERA operations will be discussed including specifics on the mission simulation utilized for the current 14-day campaign, the specifics of the facility (total volume, overall size, hardware), and the capabilities available to researchers. The overall operational philosophy, mission fidelity including timeline, schedule pressures and cadence, and development and implementation of mission stressors will be presented. Research conducted to date in the HERA has addressed risks associated with behavioral health and performance, human physiology, as well as human factors. This presentation will conclude with a discussion of future research plans for the HERA, including infrastructure improvements and additional research capabilities planned for the upcoming 30-day missions in 2016.

  8. Analogs of diadenosine tetraphosphate (Ap4A).

    PubMed

    Guranowski, Andrzej

    2003-01-01

    This review summarizes our knowledge of analogs and derivatives of diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (Ap4A), the most extensively studied member of the dinucleoside 5',5"'-P1,Pn-polyphosphate (NpnN) family. After a short discussion of enzymes that may be responsible for the accumulation and degradation of Np4)N's in the cell, this review focuses on chemically and/or enzymatically produced analogs and their practical applications. Particular attention is paid to compounds that have aided the study of enzymes involved in the metabolism of Ap4A (Np4N'). Certain Ap4A analogs were alternative substrates of Ap4A-degrading enzymes and/or acted as enzyme inhibitors, some other helped to establish enzyme mechanisms, increased the sensitivity of certain enzyme assays or produced stable enzyme:ligand complexes for structural analysis.

  9. Terrestrial Spaceflight Analogs: Antarctica

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crucian, Brian

    2013-01-01

    Alterations in immune cell distribution and function, circadian misalignment, stress and latent viral reactivation appear to persist during Antarctic winterover at Concordia Station. Some of these changes are similar to those observed in Astronauts, either during or immediately following spaceflight. Others are unique to the Concordia analog. Based on some initial immune data and environmental conditions, Concordia winterover may be an appropriate analog for some flight-associated immune system changes and mission stress effects. An ongoing smaller control study at Neumayer III will address the influence of the hypoxic variable. Changes were observed in the peripheral blood leukocyte distribution consistent with immune mobilization, and similar to those observed during spaceflight. Alterations in cytokine production profiles were observed during winterover that are distinct from those observed during spaceflight, but potentially consistent with those observed during persistent hypobaric hypoxia. The reactivation of latent herpesviruses was observed during overwinter/isolation, that is consistently associated with dysregulation in immune function.

  10. The Role of Writing in Learning from Analogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klein, Perry D.; Piacente-Cimini, Sabrina; Williams, Laura A.

    2007-01-01

    This study examines the role of writing in learning scientific principles through analogy. Seventy-two university students observed two demonstrations concerning one of three topics: buoyant force of a fluid, projectile motion or forces internal to a system. Each composed an analogy on one of the topics through speaking-only, writing-only, or…

  11. Promoting interdomain analogical transfer: When creating a problem helps to solve a problem.

    PubMed

    Minervino, Ricardo A; Olguín, Valeria; Trench, Máximo

    2017-02-01

    Research on analogical thinking has devised several ways of promoting an abstract encoding of base analogs, thus rendering them more retrievable during later encounters with similar situations lacking surface similarities. Recent studies have begun to explore ways of facilitating transfer at retrieval time, which could facilitate the retrieval of distant analogs learned within contexts that were not specially directed to emphasize their abstract structure. Such studies demonstrate that comparing a target problem to an analogous problem helps students retrieve base analogs that lack surface similarities. To devise more portable ways of enhancing analogical transfer, Experiment 1 replicated Kurtz and Loewenstein's (Memory & Cognition, 35, 334-341, 2007) target-comparison procedure with an additional condition in which participants compared the target to a nonanalogous problem before attempting to reach its solution. Although comparing two analogous targets outperformed the standard transfer condition in promoting analogical transfer, comparing nonanalogous problems did not yield a transfer advantage. Based on prior studies that showed that the activity of creating analogous problems during their initial encoding elicits a more abstract representation of base analogs, in Experiment 2 we assessed whether constructing a second analogous target problem at retrieval time helps participants retrieve superficially dissimilar base analogs. As predicted, target invention increased the retrieval of distant sources. In both experiments we found an association between the quality of the generated schemas and the probability of retrieving a distant base analog from memory.

  12. Letter box line blackener for the HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid system

    DOEpatents

    Wysocki, Frederick J.; Nickel, George H.

    2006-07-18

    A blackener for letter box lines associated with a HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission where the blackener counts horizontal sync pulses contained in the HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission and determines when the HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission is in letter-box lines: if it is, then the blackener sends substitute black signal to an output; and if it is not, then the blackener sends the HDTV/conventional-analog hybrid television transmission to the output.

  13. Novel C-1 Substituted Cocaine Analogs Unlike Cocaine or Benztropine

    PubMed Central

    Ali, Solav; Hashim, Audrey; Sheikh, Imran S.; Theddu, Naresh; Gaddiraju, Narendra V.; Mehrotra, Suneet; Schmitt, Kyle C.; Murray, Thomas F.; Sershen, Henry; Unterwald, Ellen M.; Davis, Franklin A.

    2012-01-01

    Despite a wealth of information on cocaine-like compounds, there is no information on cocaine analogs with substitutions at C-1. Here, we report on (R)-(−)-cocaine analogs with various C-1 substituents: methyl (2), ethyl (3), n-propyl (4), n-pentyl (5), and phenyl (6). Analog 2 was equipotent to cocaine as an inhibitor of the dopamine transporter (DAT), whereas 3 and 6 were 3- and 10-fold more potent, respectively. None of the analogs, however, stimulated mouse locomotor activity, in contrast to cocaine. Pharmacokinetic assays showed compound 2 occupied mouse brain rapidly, as cocaine itself; moreover, 2 and 6 were behaviorally active in mice in the forced-swim test model of depression and the conditioned place preference test. Analog 2 was a weaker inhibitor of voltage-dependent Na+ channels than cocaine, although 6 was more potent than cocaine, highlighting the need to assay future C-1 analogs for this activity. Receptorome screening indicated few significant binding targets other than the monoamine transporters. Benztropine-like “atypical” DAT inhibitors are known to display reduced cocaine-like locomotor stimulation, presumably by their propensity to interact with an inward-facing transporter conformation. However, 2 and 6, like cocaine, but unlike benztropine, exhibited preferential interaction with an outward-facing conformation upon docking in our DAT homology model. In summary, C-1 cocaine analogs are not cocaine-like in that they are not stimulatory in vivo. However, they are not benztropine-like in binding mechanism and seem to interact with the DAT similarly to cocaine. The present data warrant further consideration of these novel cocaine analogs for antidepressant or cocaine substitution potential. PMID:22895898

  14. Analog graphic display method and apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Kronberg, J.W.

    1991-08-13

    Disclosed are an apparatus and method for using an output device such as an LED to show the approximate analog level of a variable electrical signal wherein a modulating AC waveform is superimposed either on the signal or a reference voltage, both of which are then fed to a comparator which drives the output device. Said device flashes at a constant perceptible rate with a duty cycle which varies in response to variations in the level of the input signal. The human eye perceives these variations in duty cycle as analogous to variations in the level of the input signal. 21 figures.

  15. Analog graphic display method and apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Kronberg, James W.

    1991-01-01

    An apparatus and method for using an output device such as an LED to show the approximate analog level of a variable electrical signal wherein a modulating AC waveform is superimposed either on the signal or a reference voltage, both of which are then fed to a comparator which drives the output device. Said device flashes at a constant perceptible rate with a duty cycle which varies in response to variations in the level of the input signal. The human eye perceives these variations in duty cycle as analogous to variations in the level of the input signal.

  16. Analogy Mapping Development for Learning Programming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sukamto, R. A.; Prabawa, H. W.; Kurniawati, S.

    2017-02-01

    Programming skill is an important skill for computer science students, whereas nowadays, there many computer science students are lack of skills and information technology knowledges in Indonesia. This is contrary with the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) since the end of 2015 which is the qualified worker needed. This study provided an effort for nailing programming skills by mapping program code to visual analogies as learning media. The developed media was based on state machine and compiler principle and was implemented in C programming language. The state of every basic condition in programming were successful determined as analogy visualization.

  17. Terrestrial analogs to Mars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Farr, T. G.; Arcone, S.; Arvidson, R.; Baker, V.; Barlow, N.; Beaty, D.; Bell, M.; Blankenship, D.; Bridges, N.; Briggs, G.; hide

    2002-01-01

    It is well recognized that interpretations of Mars must begin with the Earth as a reference. The most successful comparisons have focused on understanding geologic processes on the Earth well enough to extrapolate to Mars' environment. Several facets of terrestrial analog studies have been pursued and are continuing.

  18. The scattering analog for infiltration in porous media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Philip, J. R.

    1989-11-01

    This review takes the form of a set of Chinese boxes. The outermost box gives a brief general account of modem developments in the mathematical physics of unsaturated flow in soils and porous media. This provides the necessary foundations for the second box, which describes the quasi-linear analysis of steady multidimensional unsaturated flow, which is an essential prerequisite to the analog. Only then can we proceed to the innermost box, devoted to our major theme. An exact analog exists between steady quasi-linear flow in unsaturated soils and porous media and the scattering of plane pulses, and the analog carries over to the scattering of plane harmonic waves. Numerous established results, and powerful techniques such as Watson transforms, far-field scattering functions, and optical theorems, become available for the solution and understanding of problems of multidimensional infiltration. These are needed, in particular, to provide the asymptotics of the physically interesting and practically important limit of flows strongly dominated by gravity, with capillary effects weak but nonzero. This is the limit of large s, where s is a characteristic length of the water supply surface normalized with respect to the sorptive length of the soil. These problems are singular in the sense that ignoring capillarity gives a totally incorrect picture of the wetted region. In terms of the optical analog, neglecting capillarity is equivalent to using geometrical optics, with coherent shadows projected to infinity. When exact solutions involve exotic functions, difficulties of both analysis and series summation may be avoided through use of small-s and large-s expansions provided by the analog. Numerous examples are given of solutions obtained through the analog. The scope for extending the application to flows from surface sources, to anisotropic and heterogeneous media, to unsteady flows, and to linear convection-diffusion processes in general is described briefly.

  19. Analogical Processes in Children's Understanding of Spatial Representations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yuan, Lei; Uttal, David; Gentner, Dedre

    2017-01-01

    We propose that map reading can be construed as a form of analogical mapping. We tested 2 predictions that follow from this claim: First, young children's patterns of performance in map reading tasks should parallel those found in analogical mapping tasks; and, second, children will benefit from guided alignment instructions that help them see the…

  20. Community Decadal Panel for Terrestrial Analogs to Mars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barlow, N. G.; Farr, T.; Baker, V. R.; Bridges, N.; Carsey, F.; Duxbury, N.; Gilmore, M. S.; Green, J. R.; Grin, E.; Hansen, V.; Keszthelyi, L.; Lanagan, P.; Lentz, R.; Marinangeli, L.; Morris, P. A.; Ori, G. G.; Paillou, P.; Robinson, C.; Thomson, B.

    2001-11-01

    It is well recognized that interpretations of Mars must begin with the Earth as a reference. The most successful comparisons have focused on understanding geologic processes on the Earth well enough to extrapolate to Mars' environment. Several facets of terrestrial analog studies have been pursued and are continuing. These studies include field workshops, characterization of terrestrial analog sites for Mars, instrument tests, laboratory measurements (including analysis of martian meteorites), and computer and laboratory modeling. The combination of all these activities allows scientists to constrain the processes operating in specific terrestrial environments and extrapolate how similar processes could affect Mars. The Terrestrial Analogs for Mars Community Panel is considering the following two key questions: (1) How do terrestrial analog studies tie in to the MEPAG science questions about life, past climate, and geologic evolution of Mars, and (2) How can future instrumentation be used to address these questions. The panel is considering the issues of data collection, value of field workshops, data archiving, laboratory measurements and modeling, human exploration issues, association with other areas of solar system exploration, and education and public outreach activities.

  1. Electrostatic analogy for symmetron gravity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ogden, Lillie; Brown, Katherine; Mathur, Harsh; Rovelli, Kevin

    2017-12-01

    The symmetron model is a scalar-tensor theory of gravity with a screening mechanism that suppresses the effect of the symmetron field at high densities characteristic of the Solar System and laboratory scales but allows it to act with gravitational strength at low density on the cosmological scale. We elucidate the screening mechanism by showing that in the quasistatic Newtonian limit there are precise analogies between symmetron gravity and electrostatics for both strong and weak screening. For strong screening we find that large dense bodies behave in a manner analogous to perfect conductors in electrostatics. Based on this analogy we find that the symmetron field exhibits a lightning rod effect wherein the field gradients are enhanced near the ends of pointed or elongated objects. An ellipsoid placed in a uniform symmetron gradient is shown to experience a torque. By symmetry there is no gravitational torque in this case. Hence this effect unmasks the symmetron and might serve as the basis for future laboratory experiments. The symmetron force between a point mass and a large dense body includes a component corresponding to the interaction of the point mass with its image in the larger body. None of these effects have counterparts in the Newtonian limit of Einstein gravity. We discuss the similarities between symmetron gravity and the chameleon model as well as the differences between the two.

  2. Hardware Evolution of Analog Speed Controllers for a DC Motor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gwaltney, David A.; Ferguson, Michael I.

    2003-01-01

    Evolvable hardware provides the capability to evolve analog circuits to produce amplifier and filter functions. Conventional analog controller designs employ these same functions. Analog controllers for the control of the shaft speed of a DC motor are evolved on an evolvable hardware platform utilizing a Field Programmable Transistor Array (FPTA). The performance of these evolved controllers is compared to that of a conventional proportional-integral (PI) controller.

  3. Increasing the efficacy of cue exposure treatment in preventing relapse of addictive behavior.

    PubMed

    Havermans, Remco C; Jansen, Anita T M

    2003-07-01

    Theoretically, cue exposure treatment should be able to prevent relapse by extinguishing conditioned drug responding (e.g. cue-elicited craving). According to contemporary learning theory, though, extinction does not eliminate conditioned responding. Analogous cue exposure with response prevention (CERP) as a treatment of addictive behavior might not eliminate the learned relation between drug-related cues and drug use. This does not necessarily mean that cue exposure cannot successfully prevent relapse. Various suggestions for increasing the efficacy of cue exposure treatment are being discussed from a contemporary learning theory perspective. It is suggested that cue exposure treatment incorporating retrieval cues can be a beneficial treatment in preventing relapse of addictive behavior.

  4. Acoustic Analogy and Alternative Theories for Jet Noise Prediction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morris, Philip J.; Farassat, F.

    2002-01-01

    Several methods for the prediction of jet noise are described. All but one of the noise prediction schemes are based on Lighthill's or Lilley's acoustic analogy, whereas the other is the jet noise generation model recently proposed by Tam and Auriault. In all of the approaches, some assumptions must be made concerning the statistical properties of the turbulent sources. In each case the characteristic scales of the turbulence are obtained from a solution of the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equation using a kappa-sigma turbulence model. It is shown that, for the same level of empiricism, Tam and Auriault's model yields better agreement with experimental noise measurements than the acoustic analogy. It is then shown that this result is not because of some fundamental flaw in the acoustic analogy approach, but instead is associated with the assumptions made in the approximation of the turbulent source statistics. If consistent assumptions are made, both the acoustic analogy and Tam and Auriault's model yield identical noise predictions. In conclusion, a proposal is presented for an acoustic analogy that provides a clearer identification of the equivalent source mechanisms, as is a discussion of noise prediction issues that remain to be resolved.

  5. Associative memory in an analog iterated-map neural network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marcus, C. M.; Waugh, F. R.; Westervelt, R. M.

    1990-03-01

    The behavior of an analog neural network with parallel dynamics is studied analytically and numerically for two associative-memory learning algorithms, the Hebb rule and the pseudoinverse rule. Phase diagrams in the parameter space of analog gain β and storage ratio α are presented. For both learning rules, the networks have large ``recall'' phases in which retrieval states exist and convergence to a fixed point is guaranteed by a global stability criterion. We also demonstrate numerically that using a reduced analog gain increases the probability of recall starting from a random initial state. This phenomenon is comparable to thermal annealing used to escape local minima but has the advantage of being deterministic, and therefore easily implemented in electronic hardware. Similarities and differences between analog neural networks and networks with two-state neurons at finite temperature are also discussed.

  6. Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of fenbufen amide analogs.

    PubMed

    Lin, Kun-I; Yang, Chao-Hsun; Huang, Chia-Wen; Jian, Jhen-Yi; Huang, Yu-Chun; Yu, Chung-Shan

    2010-12-02

    The previous discoveries of butyl fenbufen amide analogs with antitumor effects were further examined. The amide analogs with 1, 3, 4 and 8 carbons chains were prepared in 70-80% yield. Fenbufen had no cytotoxic effects at concentrations ranging from 10 to 100 μM. Methyl fenbufen amide had significant cytotoxic effects at a concentration of 100 μM. As the length of the alkyl amide side chain increased, the cytotoxic effects increased, and the octyl fenbufen amide had the greatest cytotoxic effect. After treatment with 30 μM octyl fenbufen amide, nearly seventy percent of the cells lost their viability. At the concentration of 10 μM, fenbufen amide analogs did not show cytotoxicity according to the MTT assay results. The NO scavenging activities of the fenbufen amide analogs were not significantly different from those of fenbufen.

  7. Children's Use of Analogy in Learning to Read.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goswami, Usha C.

    Two experiments were conducted in order to determine whether children are able to make analogies in learning to read. In the first experiment, 24 children from a primary school were taught three types of word pairs--only one pair of which was analogies--and then tested. Results showed not only that children are aware that consistency of spelling…

  8. Using Self-Generated Analogies in Teaching of Thermodynamics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haglund, Jesper; Jeppsson, Fredrik

    2012-01-01

    Using self-generated analogies has been proposed as a method in a constructivist tradition for students to learn about a new subject, by use of what they previously know. We report on a group exercise on using self-generated analogies to make sense of two thermodynamic processes, reversible adiabatic expansion and free adiabatic expansion of an…

  9. Sleep promotes analogical transfer in problem solving.

    PubMed

    Monaghan, Padraic; Sio, Ut Na; Lau, Sum Wai; Woo, Hoi Kei; Linkenauger, Sally A; Ormerod, Thomas C

    2015-10-01

    Analogical problem solving requires using a known solution from one problem to apply to a related problem. Sleep is known to have profound effects on memory and information restructuring, and so we tested whether sleep promoted such analogical transfer, determining whether improvement was due to subjective memory for problems, subjective recognition of similarity across related problems, or by abstract generalisation of structure. In Experiment 1, participants were exposed to a set of source problems. Then, after a 12-h period involving sleep or wake, they attempted target problems structurally related to the source problems but with different surface features. Experiment 2 controlled for time of day effects by testing participants either in the morning or the evening. Sleep improved analogical transfer, but effects were not due to improvements in subjective memory or similarity recognition, but rather effects of structural generalisation across problems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Analogy as a strategy for supporting complex problem solving under uncertainty.

    PubMed

    Chan, Joel; Paletz, Susannah B F; Schunn, Christian D

    2012-11-01

    Complex problem solving in naturalistic environments is fraught with uncertainty, which has significant impacts on problem-solving behavior. Thus, theories of human problem solving should include accounts of the cognitive strategies people bring to bear to deal with uncertainty during problem solving. In this article, we present evidence that analogy is one such strategy. Using statistical analyses of the temporal dynamics between analogy and expressed uncertainty in the naturalistic problem-solving conversations among scientists on the Mars Rover Mission, we show that spikes in expressed uncertainty reliably predict analogy use (Study 1) and that expressed uncertainty reduces to baseline levels following analogy use (Study 2). In addition, in Study 3, we show with qualitative analyses that this relationship between uncertainty and analogy is not due to miscommunication-related uncertainty but, rather, is primarily concentrated on substantive problem-solving issues. Finally, we discuss a hypothesis about how analogy might serve as an uncertainty reduction strategy in naturalistic complex problem solving.

  11. Analogy motor learning by young children: a study of rope skipping.

    PubMed

    Tse, Andy C Y; Fong, Shirley S M; Wong, Thomson W L; Masters, Rich

    2017-03-01

    Research in psychology suggests that provision of an instruction by analogy can enhance acquisition and understanding of knowledge. Limited research has been conducted to test this proposition in motor learning by children. The purpose of the present study was to examine the feasibility of analogy instructions in motor skill acquisition by children. Thirty-two children were randomly assigned to one of the two instruction protocols: analogy and explicit instruction protocols for a two-week rope skipping training. Each participant completed a pretest (Lesson 1), three practice sessions (Lesson 2-4), a posttest and a secondary task test (Lesson 5). Children in the analogy protocol displayed better rope skip performance than those in the explicit instruction protocol (p < .001). Moreover, a cognitive secondary task test indicated that children in the analogy protocol performed more effectively, whereas children in the explicit protocol displayed decrements in performance. Analogy learning may aid children to acquire complex motor skills, and have potential benefits related to reduced cognitive processing requirements.

  12. Analogical processes in children's understanding of spatial representations.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Lei; Uttal, David; Gentner, Dedre

    2017-06-01

    We propose that map reading can be construed as a form of analogical mapping. We tested 2 predictions that follow from this claim: First, young children's patterns of performance in map reading tasks should parallel those found in analogical mapping tasks; and, second, children will benefit from guided alignment instructions that help them see the relational correspondences between the map and the space. In 4 experiments, 3-year-olds completed a map reading task in which they were asked to find hidden objects in a miniature room, using a corresponding map. We manipulated the availability of guided alignment (showing children the analogical mapping between maps and spaces; Experiments 1, 2, and 3a), the format of guided alignment (gesture or relational language; Experiment 2), and the iconicity of maps (Experiments 3a and 3b). We found that (a) young children's difficulties in map reading follow from known patterns of analogical development-for example, focusing on object similarity over relational similarity; and (b) guided alignment based on analogical reasoning led to substantially better performance. Results also indicated that children's map reading performance was affected by the format of guided alignment, the iconicity of the maps, and the order of tasks. The results bear on the developmental mechanisms underlying young children's learning of spatial representations and also suggest ways to support this learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Synthetic Curcumin Analogs as Inhibitors of β -Amyloid Peptide Aggregation: Potential Therapeutic and Diagnostic Agents for Alzheimer's Disease.

    PubMed

    Bukhari, Syed Nasir Abbas; Jantan, Ibrahim

    2015-01-01

    There is a crucial need to develop new effective drugs for Alzheimer's disease (AD) as the currently available AD treatments provide only momentary and incomplete symptomatic relief. Amongst natural products, curcumin, a major constituent of turmeric, has been intensively investigated for its neuroprotective effect against β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced toxicity in cultured neuronal cells. The ability of curcumin to attach to Aβ peptide and prevent its accumulation is attributed to its three structural characteristics such as the presence of two aromatic end groups and their co-planarity, the length and rigidity of the linker region and the substitution conformation of these aromatics. However, curcumin failed to reach adequate brain levels after oral absorption in AD clinical trials due to its low water solubility and poor oral bioavailability. A number of new curcumin analogs that mimic the active site of the compound along with analogs that mimic the curcumin anti-amyloid effect combined with anticholinesterase effect have been developed to enhance the bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, water solubility, stability at physiological conditions and delivery of curcumin. In this article, we have summarized all reported synthetic analogs of curcumin showing effects on β-amyloid and discussed their potential as therapeutic and diagnostic agents for AD.

  14. IADE: a system for intelligent automatic design of bioisosteric analogs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ertl, Peter; Lewis, Richard

    2012-11-01

    IADE, a software system supporting molecular modellers through the automatic design of non-classical bioisosteric analogs, scaffold hopping and fragment growing, is presented. The program combines sophisticated cheminformatics functionalities for constructing novel analogs and filtering them based on their drug-likeness and synthetic accessibility using automatic structure-based design capabilities: the best candidates are selected according to their similarity to the template ligand and to their interactions with the protein binding site. IADE works in an iterative manner, improving the fitness of designed molecules in every generation until structures with optimal properties are identified. The program frees molecular modellers from routine, repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on analysis and evaluation of the automatically designed analogs, considerably enhancing their work efficiency as well as the area of chemical space that can be covered. The performance of IADE is illustrated through a case study of the design of a nonclassical bioisosteric analog of a farnesyltransferase inhibitor—an analog that has won a recent "Design a Molecule" competition.

  15. IADE: a system for intelligent automatic design of bioisosteric analogs.

    PubMed

    Ertl, Peter; Lewis, Richard

    2012-11-01

    IADE, a software system supporting molecular modellers through the automatic design of non-classical bioisosteric analogs, scaffold hopping and fragment growing, is presented. The program combines sophisticated cheminformatics functionalities for constructing novel analogs and filtering them based on their drug-likeness and synthetic accessibility using automatic structure-based design capabilities: the best candidates are selected according to their similarity to the template ligand and to their interactions with the protein binding site. IADE works in an iterative manner, improving the fitness of designed molecules in every generation until structures with optimal properties are identified. The program frees molecular modellers from routine, repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on analysis and evaluation of the automatically designed analogs, considerably enhancing their work efficiency as well as the area of chemical space that can be covered. The performance of IADE is illustrated through a case study of the design of a nonclassical bioisosteric analog of a farnesyltransferase inhibitor--an analog that has won a recent "Design a Molecule" competition.

  16. Reliable absolute analog code retrieval approach for 3D measurement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Shuang; Zhang, Jing; Yu, Xiaoyang; Sun, Xiaoming; Wu, Haibin; Chen, Deyun

    2017-11-01

    The wrapped phase of phase-shifting approach can be unwrapped by using Gray code, but both the wrapped phase error and Gray code decoding error can result in period jump error, which will lead to gross measurement error. Therefore, this paper presents a reliable absolute analog code retrieval approach. The combination of unequal-period Gray code and phase shifting patterns at high frequencies are used to obtain high-frequency absolute analog code, and at low frequencies, the same unequal-period combination patterns are used to obtain the low-frequency absolute analog code. Next, the difference between the two absolute analog codes was employed to eliminate period jump errors, and a reliable unwrapped result can be obtained. Error analysis was used to determine the applicable conditions, and this approach was verified through theoretical analysis. The proposed approach was further verified experimentally. Theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach can perform reliable analog code unwrapping.

  17. FITPix COMBO—Timepix detector with integrated analog signal spectrometric readout

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holik, M.; Kraus, V.; Georgiev, V.; Granja, C.

    2016-02-01

    The hybrid semiconductor pixel detector Timepix has proven a powerful tool in radiation detection and imaging. Energy loss and directional sensitivity as well as particle type resolving power are possible by high resolution particle tracking and per-pixel energy and quantum-counting capability. The spectrometric resolving power of the detector can be further enhanced by analyzing the analog signal of the detector common sensor electrode (also called back-side pulse). In this work we present a new compact readout interface, based on the FITPix readout architecture, extended with integrated analog electronics for the detector's common sensor signal. Integrating simultaneous operation of the digital per-pixel information with the common sensor (called also back-side electrode) analog pulse processing circuitry into one device enhances the detector capabilities and opens new applications. Thanks to noise suppression and built-in electromagnetic interference shielding the common hardware platform enables parallel analog signal spectroscopy on the back side pulse signal with full operation and read-out of the pixelated digital part, the noise level is 600 keV and spectrometric resolution around 100 keV for 5.5 MeV alpha particles. Self-triggering is implemented with delay of few tens of ns making use of adjustable low-energy threshold of the particle analog signal amplitude. The digital pixelated full frame can be thus triggered and recorded together with the common sensor analog signal. The waveform, which is sampled with frequency 100 MHz, can be recorded in adjustable time window including time prior to the trigger level. An integrated software tool provides control, on-line display and read-out of both analog and digital channels. Both the pixelated digital record and the analog waveform are synchronized and written out by common time stamp.

  18. Method of pedestal and common-mode noise correction for switched-capacitor analog memories

    DOEpatents

    Britton, C.L.

    1997-09-23

    A method and apparatus are disclosed for correcting common-mode noise and pedestal noise in a multichannel array of switched-capacitor analog memories wherein each analog memory is connected to an associated analog-to-digital converter. The apparatus comprises a single differential element in two different embodiments. In a first embodiment, the differential element is a reference analog memory connected to a buffer. In the second embodiment, the differential dement is a reference analog memory connected to a reference analog-to-digital connected to an array of digital summing circuits. 4 figs.

  19. Method of pedestal and common-mode noise correction for switched-capacitor analog memories

    DOEpatents

    Britton, C.L.

    1996-12-31

    A method and apparatus are disclosed for correcting common-mode noise and pedestal noise in a multichannel array of switched-capacitor analog memories wherein each analog memory is connected to an associated analog-to-digital converter. The apparatus comprises a single differential element in two different embodiments. In a first embodiment, the differential element is a reference analog memory connected to a buffer. In the second embodiment, the differential element is a reference analog memory connected to a reference analog-to-digital connected to an array of digital summing circuits. 4 figs.

  20. Method of pedestal and common-mode noise correction for switched-capacitor analog memories

    DOEpatents

    Britton, Charles L.

    1997-01-01

    A method and apparatus for correcting common-mode noise and pedestal noise in a multichannel array of switched-capacitor analog memories wherein each analog memory is connected to an associated analog-to-digital converter. The apparatus comprises a single differential element in two different embodiments. In a first embodiment, the differential element is a reference analog memory connected to a buffer. In the second embodiment, the differential dement is a reference analog memory connected to a reference analog-to-digital connected to an array of digital summing circuits.

  1. Method of pedestal and common-mode noise correction for switched-capacitor analog memories

    DOEpatents

    Britton, Charles L.

    1996-01-01

    A method and apparatus for correcting common-mode noise and pedestal noise in a multichannel array of switched-capacitor analog memories wherein each analog memory is connected to an associated analog-to-digital converter. The apparatus comprises a single differential element in two different embodiments. In a first embodiment, the differential element is a reference analog memory connected to a buffer. In the second embodiment, the differential element is a reference analog memory connected to a reference analog-to-digital connected to an array of digital summing circuits.

  2. Conference Report: Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments.

    PubMed

    Hays, Lindsay; Beaty, David

    2017-01-01

    The Conference on Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments held in May 2016 brought together scientists to discuss microbial biosignatures in Mars analog habitable environments. Five analog environments were discussed: (1) hydrothermal spring systems, (2) subaqueous environments, (3) subaerial environments, (4) subsurface environments, and (5) iron-rich systems. This paper details the major messages that resulted from the discussions and will be followed by a review paper that adds significant detail from the published literature and interpretations from the writing committee of the workshop for future research and application to astrobiological exploration missions. Key Words: Biosignature preservation-Biosignature detection-Mars analog environments-Conference report-Astrobiological exploration. Astrobiology 17, 1-2.

  3. Where Concepts Meet Percepts: Stimulating Analogical Thought in Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flick, Larry

    1991-01-01

    Reports an instructional application of a theory of analogical reasoning. Uses the grinding of a sugar cube as an explanatory-predictive analogy for state transitions of water as a stimulus for promoting associations with other appropriate experiences in elementary school students. (PR)

  4. 21 CFR 582.5477 - Methionine hydroxy analog and its calcium salts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Methionine hydroxy analog and its calcium salts... Nutrients and/or Dietary Supplements 1 § 582.5477 Methionine hydroxy analog and its calcium salts. (a) Product. Methionine hydroxy analog and its calcium salts. (b) [Reserved] (c) Limitations, restrictions, or...

  5. 21 CFR 582.5477 - Methionine hydroxy analog and its calcium salts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Methionine hydroxy analog and its calcium salts... Nutrients and/or Dietary Supplements 1 § 582.5477 Methionine hydroxy analog and its calcium salts. (a) Product. Methionine hydroxy analog and its calcium salts. (b) [Reserved] (c) Limitations, restrictions, or...

  6. Analog "neuronal" networks in early vision.

    PubMed Central

    Koch, C; Marroquin, J; Yuille, A

    1986-01-01

    Many problems in early vision can be formulated in terms of minimizing a cost function. Examples are shape from shading, edge detection, motion analysis, structure from motion, and surface interpolation. As shown by Poggio and Koch [Poggio, T. & Koch, C. (1985) Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. B 226, 303-323], quadratic variational problems, an important subset of early vision tasks, can be "solved" by linear, analog electrical, or chemical networks. However, in the presence of discontinuities, the cost function is nonquadratic, raising the question of designing efficient algorithms for computing the optimal solution. Recently, Hopfield and Tank [Hopfield, J. J. & Tank, D. W. (1985) Biol. Cybern. 52, 141-152] have shown that networks of nonlinear analog "neurons" can be effective in computing the solution of optimization problems. We show how these networks can be generalized to solve the nonconvex energy functionals of early vision. We illustrate this approach by implementing a specific analog network, solving the problem of reconstructing a smooth surface from sparse data while preserving its discontinuities. These results suggest a novel computational strategy for solving early vision problems in both biological and real-time artificial vision systems. PMID:3459172

  7. Long-acting follicle-stimulating hormone analogs containing N-linked glycosylation exhibited increased bioactivity compared with o-linked analogs in female rats.

    PubMed

    Weenen, C; Peña, J E; Pollak, S V; Klein, J; Lobel, L; Trousdale, R K; Palmer, S; Lustbader, E G; Ogden, R T; Lustbader, J W

    2004-10-01

    The effects of altering the number and type of additional carbohydrate moieties on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of FSH were examined in this report. A series of single-chain follitropins, containing variable numbers of additional N- (or O-) linked carbohydrates, were designed and expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. Proper folding, efficient receptor binding, and signal transduction were confirmed by in vitro assays. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters were evaluated in immature female Sprague Dawley rats. Increasing the number of glycosylation sites with either N- (or O-) linked moieties extended the elimination half-life as much as 2-fold compared with recombinant human FSH (rhFSH). However, there was a maximum elimination half-life such that further glycosylation provided no additional lengthening of the half-life. Conversely, biopotency, as assessed by inhibin A levels 74 h post injection, and follicle production were significantly higher for the N-linked analogs. Rats stimulated with the longest acting analogs (either N- or O-linked) showed significantly higher ovarian weights than rats receiving a single injection of rhFSH. The analog containing four additional N-linked sites (rhFSH-N4) had the greatest number of large, preovulatory follicles. Although the half-life of rhFSH-N4 displayed no further enhancement beyond the other longest acting analogs, this analog exhibited significantly increased biopotency in rats. This work provides the basis for the generation of a series of reagents potentially useful for therapeutic applications.

  8. Investigational parathyroid hormone receptor analogs for the treatment of osteoporosis.

    PubMed

    Polyzos, Stergios A; Makras, Polyzois; Efstathiadou, Zoe; Anastasilakis, Athanasios D

    2015-02-01

    Intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) administration, acting through multiple signaling pathways, exerts an osteoanabolic effect on the skeleton that surpasses the effect of other antiosteoporotic agents. However, its efficacy is limited by the coupling effect and relatively common adverse events. Thus, the development of more sophisticated PTH receptor analogs seems imperative. In this review, the authors summarize the role of PTH signaling pathway in bone remodeling. The authors also summarize investigational analogs targeting this pathway, which may be potential treatments for osteoporosis. β-arrestins are multifunctional cytoplasmic molecules that are decisive for regulating intracellular PTH signaling. Recently, in preclinical studies, arrestin analogs have achieved the anabolic bone effect of PTH without an accompanying increase in bone resorption. However, it is not yet known whether these analogs have adverse effects and there are no clinical data for their efficacy to date. On the other hand, several molecules derived either from PTH and PTH-related protein (PTHrP) molecules have been developed. Alternative routes of PTH 1 - 34 delivery (oral, transdermal), the PTH analog ostabolin and the N-terminal PTHrP analogs PTHrP 1 - 36 and abaloparatide, have recently been or are currently being tested in clinical trials and are more likely to become available for use in the near future.

  9. Recent Synthesis and Discovery of Brefeldin A Analogs

    PubMed Central

    Paek, Seung-Mann

    2018-01-01

    The recent development of analogs of brefeldin A (BFA), a fungal metabolite, for the improvement of BFA apoptosis-inducing activity is described. BFA has been isolated from various soil or, more recently, marine fungi and has shown versatile beneficial activities. More importantly, the apoptosis-inducing activity of BFA in cancer cells highlights the possibility of further developing this natural product as an anticancer agent. Besides its biological importance, its structural features have also gathered tremendous interest from both medicinal and synthetic chemists. By a medicinal chemistry and total synthesis approach, numerous analogs from BFA have been developed to improve its inferior bioavailability and its antiproliferative ability. In this review, the recent medicinal chemistry efforts in relation to the production of BFA analogs are extensively presented. PMID:29670019

  10. Terrestrial Analogs to Mars: NRC Community Panel Decadal Report

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Farr, T. G.

    2002-12-01

    A report was completed recently by a Community Panel for the NRC Decadal Study of Solar System Exploration. The desire was for a review of the current state of knowledge and for recommendations for action over the next decade. The topic of this panel, Terrestrial Analogs to Mars, was chosen to bring attention to the need for an increase in analog studies in support of the increased pace of Mars exploration. It is well recognized that interpretations of Mars must begin with the Earth as a reference. The most successful comparisons have focused on understanding geologic processes on the Earth well enough to extrapolate to Mars' environment. Several facets of terrestrial analog studies have been pursued and are continuing. These studies include field workshops, characterization of terrestrial analog sites, instrument tests, laboratory measurements (including analysis of martian meteorites), and computer and laboratory modeling. The combination of all of these activities allows scientists to constrain the processes operating in specific terrestrial environments and extrapolate how similar processes could affect Mars. The Terrestrial Analogs for Mars Community Panel has considered the following two key questions: (1) How do terrestrial analog studies tie in to the overarching science questions about life, past climate, and geologic evolution of Mars, and (2) How can future instrumentation be used to address these questions. The panel considered the issues of data collection and archiving, value of field workshops, laboratory measurements and modeling, human exploration issues, association with other areas of solar system exploration, and education and public outreach activities. Parts of this work were performed under contract to NASA.

  11. Revealing the Raft Domain Organization in the Plasma Membrane by Single-Molecule Imaging of Fluorescent Ganglioside Analogs.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Kenichi G N; Ando, Hiromune; Komura, Naoko; Konishi, Miku; Imamura, Akihiro; Ishida, Hideharu; Kiso, Makoto; Fujiwara, Takahiro K; Kusumi, Akihiro

    2018-01-01

    Gangliosides have been implicated in a variety of physiological processes, particularly in the formation and function of raft domains in the plasma membrane. However, the scarcity of suitable fluorescent ganglioside analogs had long prevented us from determining exactly how gangliosides perform their functions in the live-cell plasma membrane. With the development of new fluorescent ganglioside analogs, as described by Komura et al. (2017), this barrier has been broken. We can now address the dynamic behaviors of gangliosides in the live-cell plasma membrane, using fluorescence microscopy, particularly by single-fluorescent molecule imaging and tracking. Single-molecule tracking of fluorescent GM1 and GM3 revealed that these molecules are transiently and dynamically recruited to monomers (monomer-associated rafts) and homodimer rafts of the raftophilic GPI-anchored protein CD59 in quiescent cells, with exponential residency times of 12 and 40ms, respectively, in a manner dependent on raft-lipid interactions. Upon CD59 stimulation, which induces CD59-cluster signaling rafts, the fluorescent GM1 and GM3 analogs were recruited to the signaling rafts, with a lifetime of 48ms. These results represent the first direct evidence that GPI-anchored receptors and gangliosides interact in a cholesterol-dependent manner. Furthermore, they show that gangliosides continually move in and out of rafts that contain CD59 in an extremely dynamic manner, with much higher frequency than expected previously. Such studies would not have been possible without fluorescent ganglioside probes, which exhibit native-like behavior and single-molecule tracking. In this chapter, we review the methods for single-molecule tracking of fluorescent ganglioside analogs and the results obtained by applying these methods. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. D-hormone analog alfacalcidol: an update on its role in post-menopausal osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis management.

    PubMed

    Richy, Florent; Deroisy, Rita; Lecart, Marie-Paule; Hanssens, Linda; Mawet, Audrey; Reginster, Jean-Yves

    2005-04-01

    Alfacalcidol (1-alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3) is a non-endogenous analog of vitamin D which can bypass the renal and intestinal regulatory mechanisms that control the production of calcitriol (1,25-hydroxyvitamin D3, the active form of vitamin D, D-Hormone). Alfacalcidol may be metabolized into calcitriol with a limited risk of hypercalcemia. Alfacalcidol and calcitriol have been evaluated in animal and human studies assessing their effects on bone mineral density and fracture rates. More recently, they have been shown to produce beneficial effects in muscle, immune system, and autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis. This paper discusses the therapeutic efficacy of alfacalcidol in reports in which it has been proposed as an interesting alternative to vitamin D or calcitriol. Some recent findings about general metabolism and regulation of vitamin D and its analogs are discussed. The biological and clinical effects of alfacalcidol in post-menopausal osteoporosis are reviewed, followed by critical appraisal of its efficacy in preventing bone loss and falls in the elderly. The last two sections discuss the role of D analogs in regulating the immune system, with particular regard to rheumatoid arthritis. The main results of this review show that alfacalcidol may have a wider range of therapeutic applicability, beyond simply restricting it to patients in hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis with high serum levels of intact PTH.

  13. Varieties of noise: analogical reasoning in synthetic biology.

    PubMed

    Knuuttila, Tarja; Loettgers, Andrea

    2014-12-01

    The picture of synthetic biology as a kind of engineering science has largely created the public understanding of this novel field, covering both its promises and risks. In this paper, we will argue that the actual situation is more nuanced and complex. Synthetic biology is a highly interdisciplinary field of research located at the interface of physics, chemistry, biology, and computational science. All of these fields provide concepts, metaphors, mathematical tools, and models, which are typically utilized by synthetic biologists by drawing analogies between the different fields of inquiry. We will study analogical reasoning in synthetic biology through the emergence of the functional meaning of noise, which marks an important shift in how engineering concepts are employed in this field. The notion of noise serves also to highlight the differences between the two branches of synthetic biology: the basic science-oriented branch and the engineering-oriented branch, which differ from each other in the way they draw analogies to various other fields of study. Moreover, we show that fixing the mapping between a source domain and the target domain seems not to be the goal of analogical reasoning in actual scientific practice.

  14. The Nitty Gritty: How We Make Analogs Work

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Self, A. L.; Huppman, S. R.; Spence, L. A.

    2017-01-01

    NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is becoming increasingly reliant on Isolated, Confined and Controlled (ICC) analogs to accomplish many of its research objectives. Compared to other research platforms, ICC analogs present a unique set of operational challenges that must be addressed in order to ensure a high fidelity research environment. In particular, the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) habitat, which is classified as an ICC environment, has been developed over the past three years to accommodate the operational needs of research investigations from each of the HRP Elements. During the development period, various types of requirements have contributed to the current operational model, which strives to achieve the highest possible level of mission fidelity with limited resources. This presentation will focus on the operational aspects of the HERA habitat, with emphasis on how we develop the analog research environment to meet researchers' needs. Specific discussion topics include mission scenario development, operational tasks, mission timeline integration, stressor implementation, console support, and improvements based on lessons learned. The information is intended to help investigators better understand the details behind HERA operations and the benefits to their research goals.

  15. Further evaluation of the tropane analogs of haloperidol.

    PubMed

    Sampson, Dinithia; Bricker, Barbara; Zhu, Xue Y; Peprah, Kwakye; Lamango, Nazarius S; Setola, Vincent; Roth, Bryan L; Ablordeppey, Seth Y

    2014-09-01

    Previous work from our labs has indicated that a tropane analog of haloperidol with potent D2 binding but designed to avoid the formation of MPP(+)-like metabolites, such as 4-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-(4-fluorophenyl)-4-oxobutyl)pyridin-1-ium (BCPP(+)) still produced catalepsy, suggesting a strong role for the D2 receptor in the production of catalepsy in rats, and hence EPS in humans. This study tested the hypothesis that further modifications of the tropane analog to produce compounds with less potent binding to the D2 receptor than haloperidol, would produce less catalepsy. These tests have now revealed that while haloperidol produced maximum catalepsy, these compounds produced moderate to low levels of catalepsy. Compound 9, with the least binding affinity to the D2R, produced the least catalepsy and highest Minimum Adverse Effective Dose (MAED) of the analogs tested regardless of their affinities at other receptors including the 5-HT1AR. These observations support the hypothesis that moderation of the D2 binding of the tropane analogs could reduce catalepsy potential in rats and consequently EPS in man. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Metabolomic Discovery of Novel Urinary Galabiosylceramide Analogs as Fabry Disease Biomarkers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boutin, Michel; Auray-Blais, Christiane

    2015-03-01

    Fabry disease is an X-linked, complex, multisystemic lysosomal storage disorder presenting marked phenotypic and genotypic variability among affected male and female patients. Glycosphingolipids, mainly globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) isoforms/analogs, globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb3) and analogs, as well as galabiosylceramide (Ga2) isoforms/analogs accumulate in the vascular endothelium, nerves, cardiomyocytes, renal glomerular and tubular epithelial cells, and biological fluids. The search for biomarkers reflecting disease severity and progression is still on-going. A metabolomic study using quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry has revealed 22 galabiosylceramide isoforms/analogs in urine of untreated Fabry patients classified in seven groups according to their chemical structure: (1) Saturated fatty acid; (2) one extra double bond; (3) two extra double bonds; (4) hydroxylated saturated fatty acid; (5) hydroxylated fatty acid and one extra double bond; (6) hydrated sphingosine and hydroxylated fatty acid; (7) methylated amide linkage. Relative quantification of both Ga2 and Gb3 isoforms/analogs was performed. All these biomarkers are significantly more abundant in urine samples from untreated Fabry males compared with healthy male controls. A significant amount of Ga2 isoforms/analogs, accounting for 18% of all glycosphingolipids analyzed (Ga2 + Gb3 and respective isoforms/analogs), were present in urine of Fabry patients. Gb3 isoforms containing saturated fatty acids are the most abundant (60.9%) compared with 26.3% for Ga2. A comparison between Ga2 isoforms/analogs and their Gb3 counterparts also showed that the proportion of analogs with hydroxylated fatty acids is significantly greater for Ga2 (35.8%) compared with Gb3 (1.9%). These results suggest different biological pathways involved in the synthesis and/or degradation of Gb3 and Ga2 metabolites.

  17. Perspectives on New Synthetic Curcumin Analogs and their Potential Anticancer Properties

    PubMed Central

    Vyas, Alok; Dandawate, Prasad; Padhye, Subhash; Ahmad, Aamir; Sarkar, Fazlul

    2013-01-01

    Curcumin is the active component of dried rhizome of Curcuma longa, a perennial herb belonging to ginger family, cultivated extensively in south and southeastern tropical Asia. It is widely consumed in the Indian subcontinent, south Asia and Japan in traditional food recipes. Extensive research over last few decades has shown that curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory agent with powerful therapeutic potential against a variety of cancers. It suppresses proliferation and metastasis of human tumors through regulation of various transcription factors, growth factors, inflammatory cytokines, protein kinases and other enzymes. It induces apoptotic cell death and also inhibits proliferation of cancer cells by cell cycle arrest. Pharmacokinetic data has shown that curcumin undergoes rapid metabolism leading to glucuronidation and sulfation in the liver and excretion in the feces, which accounts for its poor systemic bioavailability. The compound has, therefore, been formulated and administered using different drug delivery systems such as liposomes, micelles, polysaccharides, phospholipid complexes and nanoparticles that can overcome the limitation of bioavailability to some extent. Attempts to avoid rapid metabolism of curcumin until now have been met with limited success. This has prompted researchers to look for new synthetic curcumin analogs in order to overcome the drawbacks of limited bioavailability and rapid metabolism, and gain efficacy with reduced toxicity. In this review we provide a summarized account of novel synthetic curcumin formulations and analogs, and the recent progress in the field of cancer prevention and treatment. PMID:23116312

  18. Perspectives on new synthetic curcumin analogs and their potential anticancer properties.

    PubMed

    Vyas, Alok; Dandawate, Prasad; Padhye, Subhash; Ahmad, Aamir; Sarkar, Fazlul

    2013-01-01

    Curcumin is the active component of dried rhizome of Curcuma longa, a perennial herb belonging to ginger family, cultivated extensively in south and southeastern tropical Asia. It is widely consumed in the Indian subcontinent, south Asia and Japan in traditional food recipes. Extensive research over last few decades has shown that curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory agent with powerful therapeutic potential against a variety of cancers. It suppresses proliferation and metastasis of human tumors through regulation of various transcription factors, growth factors, inflammatory cytokines, protein kinases and other enzymes. It induces apoptotic cell death and also inhibits proliferation of cancer cells by cell cycle arrest. Pharmacokinetic data has shown that curcumin undergoes rapid metabolism leading to glucuronidation and sulfation in the liver and excretion in the feces, which accounts for its poor systemic bioavailability. The compound has, therefore, been formulated and administered using different drug delivery systems such as liposomes, micelles, polysaccharides, phospholipid complexes and nanoparticles that can overcome the limitation of bioavailability to some extent. Attempts to avoid rapid metabolism of curcumin until now have been met with limited success. This has prompted researchers to look for new synthetic curcumin analogs in order to overcome the drawbacks of limited bioavailability and rapid metabolism, and gain efficacy with reduced toxicity. In this review we provide a summarized account of novel synthetic curcumin formulations and analogs, and the recent progress in the field of cancer prevention and treatment.

  19. Method and apparatus for low power analog-to-digital conversion

    DOEpatents

    De Geronimo, Gianluigi; Nambiar, Neena

    2013-10-01

    A method and apparatus for analog-to-digital conversion. An Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) includes M ADC.sub.j, j=1, 2, . . . , M. Each ADC.sub.j comprises a number of cells each of which comprises a first switch, a second switch, a current sink and an inverter. An inverter of a cell in an ADC.sub.j changes state in response to a current associate with an input signal of the ADC.sub.j exceeding a threshold, thus switching on the next cell. Each ADC.sub.j is enabled to perform analog-to-digital conversion on a residual current of a previous ADC.sub.j-1 after the previous ADC.sub.j-1 has completed its analog-to-digital conversion and has been disabled.

  20. Stereoselective synthesis of nicotinamide beta-riboside and nucleoside analogs.

    PubMed

    Franchetti, Palmarisa; Pasqualini, Michela; Petrelli, Riccardo; Ricciutelli, Massimo; Vita, Patrizia; Cappellacci, Loredana

    2004-09-20

    The beta-anomers of N-ribofuranosylnicotine-3-carboxamide (beta-NAR) and its nicotinic acid analog (beta-NaR) were obtained by stereoselective synthesis via glycosylation of the presilylated bases under Vorbruggen's protocol. A NAR analog, methylated in position 3 of the ribosylic moiety, is also reported.

  1. Analogy-Integrated e-Learning Module: Facilitating Students' Conceptual Understanding

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida, Jennifer

    2012-01-01

    The study deals with the development of an analogy-integrated e-learning module on Cellular Respiration, which is intended to facilitate conceptual understanding of students with different brain hemisphere dominance and learning styles. The module includes eight analogies originally conceptualized following the specific steps used to prepare…

  2. Emergent Verbal Behavior and Analogy: Skinnerian and Linguistic Approaches

    PubMed Central

    Matos, Maria Amelia; de Lourdes Passos, Maria

    2010-01-01

    The production of verbal operants not previously taught is an important aspect of language productivity. For Skinner, new mands, tacts, and autoclitics result from the recombination of verbal operants. The relation between these mands, tacts, and autoclitics is what linguists call analogy, a grammatical pattern that serves as a foundation on which a speaker might emit new linguistic forms. Analogy appears in linguistics as a regularity principle that characterizes language and has been related to how languages change and also to creativity. The approaches of neogrammarians like Hermann Paul, as well as those of Jespersen and Bloomfield, appear to have influenced Skinner's understanding of verbal creativity. Generalization and stimulus equivalence are behavioral processes related to the generative grammatical behavior described in the analogy model. Linguistic forms and grammatical patterns described in analogy are part of the contingencies of reinforcement that produce generalization and stimulus equivalence. The analysis of verbal behavior needs linguistic analyses of the constituents of linguistic forms and their combination patterns. PMID:22479127

  3. Inhibition of Delta-induced Notch signaling using fucose analogs

    PubMed Central

    Schneider, Michael; Kumar, Vivek; Nordstrøm, Lars Ulrik; Feng, Lei; Takeuchi, Hideyuki; Hao, Huilin; Luca, Vincent C.; Garcia, K. Christopher; Stanley, Pamela; Wu, Peng; Haltiwanger, Robert S.

    2017-01-01

    Notch is a cell-surface receptor that controls cell fate decisions and is regulated by O-glycans attached to epidermal growth factor-like (EGF) repeats in its extracellular domain. Protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (Pofut1) modifies EGF repeats with O-fucose and is essential for Notch signaling. Constitutive activation of Notch signaling has been associated with a variety of human malignancies. Therefore, tools for inhibiting Notch activity are being developed as cancer therapeutics. Towards this end, we screened L-fucose analogs for their effects on Notch signaling. Two analogs, 6-alkynyl and 6-alkenyl fucose, were substrates of Pofut1 and were incorporated directly into Notch EGF repeats in cells. Both analogs were potent inhibitors of binding to and activation of Notch1 by Notch ligands Dll1 and Dll4, but not by Jag1. Mutagenesis and modeling studies suggest that incorporation of the analogs into EGF8 of Notch1 markedly reduces the ability of Delta ligands to bind and activate Notch1. PMID:29176671

  4. Concept Confusion and Concept Discernment in Basic Magnetism Using Analogical Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lemmer, Miriam; Morabe, Olebogeng Nicodimus

    2017-01-01

    Analogical reasoning is central to all learning, whether in daily life situations, in the classroom or while doing research. Although analogies can aid the learning process of making sense of phenomena and understanding new ideas in terms of known ideas, these should be used with care. This article reports a study of the use of analogies and the…

  5. Connecting long distance: semantic distance in analogical reasoning modulates frontopolar cortex activity.

    PubMed

    Green, Adam E; Kraemer, David J M; Fugelsang, Jonathan A; Gray, Jeremy R; Dunbar, Kevin N

    2010-01-01

    Solving problems often requires seeing new connections between concepts or events that seemed unrelated at first. Innovative solutions of this kind depend on analogical reasoning, a relational reasoning process that involves mapping similarities between concepts. Brain-based evidence has implicated the frontal pole of the brain as important for analogical mapping. Separately, cognitive research has identified semantic distance as a key characteristic of the kind of analogical mapping that can support innovation (i.e., identifying similarities across greater semantic distance reveals connections that support more innovative solutions and models). However, the neural substrates of semantically distant analogical mapping are not well understood. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity during an analogical reasoning task, in which we parametrically varied the semantic distance between the items in the analogies. Semantic distance was derived quantitatively from latent semantic analysis. Across 23 participants, activity in an a priori region of interest (ROI) in left frontopolar cortex covaried parametrically with increasing semantic distance, even after removing effects of task difficulty. This ROI was centered on a functional peak that we previously associated with analogical mapping. To our knowledge, these data represent a first empirical characterization of how the brain mediates semantically distant analogical mapping.

  6. Inhibition of rat prostate tumor growth by an octapeptide analog of somatostatin.

    PubMed

    Murphy, W A; Lance, V A; Moreau, S; Moreau, J P; Coy, D H

    1987-06-29

    Analogs of a potent octapeptide analog of somatostatin (SRIF) H-(D)Phe-Cys-Tyr-(D)Trp-Lys-Val-Cys-Thr(NH2) were synthesized. Aromatic substitutions for Tyr resulted in little change in inhibitory potency on growth hormone (GH) secretion in the rat. Substitutions for Val or (D)Trp resulted in analogs with diminished activity. Substitution of (D)Nal for (D)Phe increased duration of GH inhibition. Final weights of subcutaneously implanted prostate tumors (R3327) were 41% lower in rats treated with an N-terminal 4-chloro-(D)phenylalanyl analog as compared to vehicle treated controls. The analog had no effect on testicular weight or final plasma testosterone levels. SRIF analogs may represent an alternative treatment for prostate cancer that would be free of the untoward reproductive effects of other treatments (e.g. LH-RH or castration).

  7. Noise Analysis of Spatial Phase coding in analog Acoustooptic Processors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gary, Charles K.; Lum, Henry, Jr. (Technical Monitor)

    1994-01-01

    Optical beams can carry information in their amplitude and phase; however, optical analog numerical calculators such as an optical matrix processor use incoherent light to achieve linear operation. Thus, the phase information is lost and only the magnitude can be used. This limits such processors to the representation of positive real numbers. Many systems have been devised to overcome this deficit through the use of digital number representations, but they all operate at a greatly reduced efficiency in contrast to analog systems. The most widely accepted method to achieve sign coding in analog optical systems has been the use of an offset for the zero level. Unfortunately, this results in increased noise sensitivity for small numbers. In this paper, we examine the use of spatially coherent sign coding in acoustooptical processors, a method first developed for digital calculations by D. V. Tigin. This coding technique uses spatial coherence for the representation of signed numbers, while temporal incoherence allows for linear analog processing of the optical information. We show how spatial phase coding reduces noise sensitivity for signed analog calculations.

  8. Effect of curcumin analogs onα-synuclein aggregation and cytotoxicity

    PubMed Central

    Jha, Narendra Nath; Ghosh, Dhiman; Das, Subhadeep; Anoop, Arunagiri; Jacob, Reeba S.; Singh, Pradeep K.; Ayyagari, Narasimham; Namboothiri, Irishi N. N.; Maji, Samir K.

    2016-01-01

    Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) aggregation into oligomers and fibrils is associated with dopaminergic neuron loss occurring in Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathogenesis. Compounds that modulate α-Syn aggregation and interact with preformed fibrils/oligomers and convert them to less toxic species could have promising applications in the drug development efforts against PD. Curcumin is one of the Asian food ingredient which showed promising role as therapeutic agent against many neurological disorders including PD. However, the instability and low solubility makes it less attractive for the drug development. In this work, we selected various curcumin analogs and studied their toxicity, stability and efficacy to interact with different α-Syn species and modulation of their toxicity. We found a subset of curcumin analogs with higher stability and showed that curcumin and its various analogs interact with preformed fibrils and oligomers and accelerate α-Syn aggregation to produce morphologically different amyloid fibrils in vitro. Furthermore, these curcumin analogs showed differential binding with the preformed α-Syn aggregates. The present data suggest the potential role of curcumin analogs in modulating α-Syn aggregation. PMID:27338805

  9. Using Analogies in Teaching Physics: A Study on Latvian Teachers' Views and Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jonane, Lolita

    2015-01-01

    The role of analogies as tools for teaching difficult science concepts has been widely discussed in science education. The application of analogies in the context of sustainable education involves richer potential. The purposeful use of appropriate analogies can facilitate analogical thinking and transfer skills, as well as develop abilities which…

  10. When Are Analogies the Right Tool? A Look at the Strategic Use of Analogies in Teaching Cellular Respiration to Middle-School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Else, Mary Jane; Ramirez, Mary Anne; Clement, John

    In this paper, the ways in which analogies are used in the Energy and the Human Body curriculum will be examined and some preliminary assessments of successes and difficulties will be discussed. Also investigated will be what the first year's study trials suggest about the effective use of analogies in the middle-school classroom. Characteristics…

  11. High school students' views of learning chemistry concepts with analogies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mathews, Jeffrey A.

    Analogies are often used in teaching abstract chemistry concepts, however few studies are concerned with how students actually view learning with analogies. An eight-member focus group, consisting of high school students, described the process of learning with analogies and how aware they were of their own learning. The students attended four analogy presentations and completed written responses, attended focus groups, and participated in repeated individual interview sessions throughout this eight-week, emic, phenomenological study. This study utilized an interpretive, qualitative methodology using a constant comparative, inductive analysis design. Students from a suburban high school in the southeastern United States were selected by purposeful sampling involving a concepts pre-test and an analogy presentation used to determine an eight member focus group. The focus group meetings were videotaped and emergent, semi-structured individual interviews were audio taped, transcribed and coded. Personal student journals, field notes, and a reflective journal were used to triangulate the study. Open, axial, and selective coding were used for data analysis and interpretation. Students described the process of learning with analogies as being able to visually see connections or picture mental images of familiar and unfamiliar concepts. Students pointed out the significance of investigating analogy breakdowns and described accommodation of new information as either automatic, which according to students resulted in memorization and hard learning, or quite laborious, which resulted in understanding and soft learning. Results indicated that students gave themselves more permission to ask questions and be critical of the teaching they are experiencing when their views were given merit. Implications for teachers include insight on students' views of learning and students' self-awareness.

  12. Design by Analogy: Achieving More Patentable Ideas from One Creative Design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, Li-Zhen; Wu, Chun-Long; Zhu, Xue-Hong; Tan, Run-Hua

    2018-12-01

    A patent is a kind of technical document to protect intellectual property for individuals or enterprises. Patentable idea generation is a crucial step for patent application and analogy is confirmed to be an effective technique to inspire creative ideas. Analogy-based design usually starts from representation of an analogy source and is followed by the retrieval of appropriate analogs, mapping of design knowledge and adaptation of target solution. To diffuse one core idea into other new contexts and achieve more patentable ideas, this paper mainly centered on the first two stages of analogy-based design and proposed a patentable ideation framework. The analogical information of the source system, including source design problems and solution, was mined comprehensively through International Patent Classification analysis and represented in the form of function, behavior and structure. Three heuristics were suggested for searching the set of candidate target systems with a similar design problem, where the source design could be transferred. To systematize the process of source representation, analogs retrieval, idea transfer, and solution generation, an ideation model was put forward. Finally, the bladeless fan was selected as a source design to illustrate the application of this work. The design output shows that the representation and heuristics are beneficial, and this systematic ideation method can help the engineer or designer enhance creativity and discover more patentable opportunities.

  13. UV IRRADIATION OF AROMATIC NITROGEN HETEROCYCLES IN INTERSTELLAR ICE ANALOGS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Elsila, J. E.; Bernstein, M. P.; Sanford, S. A.

    2005-01-01

    Here, we present information on the properties of the ANH quinoline frozen in interstellar water-ice analogs. Quinoline is a two-ring compound structurally analogous to the PAH naphthalene. In this work, binary mixtures of water and quinoline were frozen to create interstellar ice analogs, which were then subjected to ultraviolet photolysis. We will present the infrared spectra of the resulting ices at various temperatures, as well as chromatographic analysis of the residues remaining upon warm-up of these ices to room temperature.

  14. The optical analogy for vector fields

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parker, E. N. (Editor)

    1991-01-01

    This paper develops the optical analogy for a general vector field. The optical analogy allows the examination of certain aspects of a vector field that are not otherwise readily accessible. In particular, in the cases of a stationary Eulerian flow v of an ideal fluid and a magnetostatic field B, the vectors v and B have surface loci in common with their curls. The intrinsic discontinuities around local maxima in absolute values of v and B take the form of vortex sheets and current sheets, respectively, the former playing a fundamental role in the development of hydrodyamic turbulence and the latter playing a major role in heating the X-ray coronas of stars and galaxies.

  15. Space flight nutrition research: platforms and analogs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Scott M.; Uchakin, Peter N.; Tobin, Brian W.

    2002-01-01

    Conducting research during actual or simulated weightlessness is a challenging endeavor, where even the simplest activities may present significant challenges. This article reviews some of the potential obstacles associated with performing research during space flight and offers brief descriptions of current and previous space research platforms and ground-based analogs, including those for human, animal, and cell-based research. This review is intended to highlight the main issues of space flight research analogs and leave the specifics for each physiologic system for the other papers in this section.

  16. Kinematics and age of 15 stars-photometric solar analogs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Galeev, A. I.; Shimansky, V. V.

    2008-03-01

    The radial and space velocities are inferred for 15 stars that are photometric analogs of the Sun. The space velocity components (U, V, W) of most of these stars lie within the 10-60 km/s interval. The star HD 225239, which in our previous papers we classified as a subgiant, has a space velocity exceeding 100 km/s, and belongs to the thick disk. The inferred fundamental parameters of the atmospheres of solar analogs are combined with published evolutionary tracks to estimate the masses and ages of the stars studied. The kinematics of photometric analogs is compared to the data for a large group of solar-type stars.

  17. Analogical Reasoning in the Classroom: Insights from Cognitive Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vendetti, Michael S.; Matlen, Bryan J.; Richland, Lindsey E.; Bunge, Silvia A.

    2015-01-01

    Applying knowledge from one context to another is a notoriously difficult problem, both for children and adults, but lies at the heart of educational endeavors. Analogical reasoning is a cognitive underpinning of the ability to notice and draw similarities across contexts. Reasoning by analogy is especially challenging for students, who must…

  18. Young Children's Analogical Reasoning across Cultures: Similarities and Differences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richland, Lindsey Engle; Chan, Tsz-Kit; Morrison, Robert G.; Au, Terry Kit-Fong

    2010-01-01

    A cross-cultural comparison between U.S. and Hong Kong preschoolers examined factors responsible for young children's analogical reasoning errors. On a scene analogy task, both groups had adequate prerequisite knowledge of the key relations, were the same age, and showed similar baseline performance, yet Chinese children outperformed U.S. children…

  19. Individual differences in spontaneous analogical transfer.

    PubMed

    Kubricht, James R; Lu, Hongjing; Holyoak, Keith J

    2017-05-01

    Research on analogical problem solving has shown that people often fail to spontaneously notice the relevance of a semantically remote source analog when solving a target problem, although they are able to form mappings and derive inferences when given a hint to recall the source. Relatively little work has investigated possible individual differences that predict spontaneous transfer, or how such differences may interact with interventions that facilitate transfer. In this study, fluid intelligence was measured for participants in an analogical problem-solving task, using an abridged version of the Raven's Progressive Matrices (RPM) test. In two experiments, we systematically compared the effect of augmenting verbal descriptions of the source with animations or static diagrams. Solution rates to Duncker's radiation problem were measured across varying source presentation conditions, and participants' understanding of the relevant source material was assessed. The pattern of transfer was best fit by a moderated mediation model: the positive impact of fluid intelligence on spontaneous transfer was mediated by its influence on source comprehension; however, this path was in turn modulated by provision of a supplemental animation via its influence on comprehension of the source. Animated source depictions were most beneficial in facilitating spontaneous transfer for those participants with low scores on the fluid intelligence measure.

  20. Synthetic analog computation in living cells.

    PubMed

    Daniel, Ramiz; Rubens, Jacob R; Sarpeshkar, Rahul; Lu, Timothy K

    2013-05-30

    A central goal of synthetic biology is to achieve multi-signal integration and processing in living cells for diagnostic, therapeutic and biotechnology applications. Digital logic has been used to build small-scale circuits, but other frameworks may be needed for efficient computation in the resource-limited environments of cells. Here we demonstrate that synthetic analog gene circuits can be engineered to execute sophisticated computational functions in living cells using just three transcription factors. Such synthetic analog gene circuits exploit feedback to implement logarithmically linear sensing, addition, ratiometric and power-law computations. The circuits exhibit Weber's law behaviour as in natural biological systems, operate over a wide dynamic range of up to four orders of magnitude and can be designed to have tunable transfer functions. Our circuits can be composed to implement higher-order functions that are well described by both intricate biochemical models and simple mathematical functions. By exploiting analog building-block functions that are already naturally present in cells, this approach efficiently implements arithmetic operations and complex functions in the logarithmic domain. Such circuits may lead to new applications for synthetic biology and biotechnology that require complex computations with limited parts, need wide-dynamic-range biosensing or would benefit from the fine control of gene expression.

  1. 47 CFR 25.211 - Analog video transmissions in the Fixed-Satellite Services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Analog video transmissions in the Fixed...) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS Technical Standards § 25.211 Analog video transmissions in the Fixed-Satellite Services. (a) Downlink analog video transmissions in the band 3700-4200 MHz...

  2. 47 CFR 25.211 - Analog video transmissions in the Fixed-Satellite Services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Analog video transmissions in the Fixed...) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS Technical Standards § 25.211 Analog video transmissions in the Fixed-Satellite Services. (a) Downlink analog video transmissions in the band 3700-4200 MHz...

  3. 47 CFR 25.211 - Analog video transmissions in the Fixed-Satellite Services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Analog video transmissions in the Fixed...) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS Technical Standards § 25.211 Analog video transmissions in the Fixed-Satellite Services. (a) Downlink analog video transmissions in the band 3700-4200 MHz...

  4. 47 CFR 25.211 - Analog video transmissions in the Fixed-Satellite Services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Analog video transmissions in the Fixed...) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS Technical Standards § 25.211 Analog video transmissions in the Fixed-Satellite Services. (a) Downlink analog video transmissions in the band 3700-4200 MHz...

  5. 47 CFR 25.211 - Analog video transmissions in the Fixed-Satellite Services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Analog video transmissions in the Fixed...) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS Technical Standards § 25.211 Analog video transmissions in the Fixed-Satellite Services. (a) Downlink analog video transmissions in the band 3700-4200 MHz...

  6. Maxwell's contrived analogy: An early version of the methodology of modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hon, Giora; Goldstein, Bernard R.

    2012-11-01

    The term "analogy" stands for a variety of methodological practices all related in one way or another to the idea of proportionality. We claim that in his first substantial contribution to electromagnetism James Clerk Maxwell developed a methodology of analogy which was completely new at the time or, to borrow John North's expression, Maxwell's methodology was a "newly contrived analogue". In his initial response to Michael Faraday's experimental researches in electromagnetism, Maxwell did not seek an analogy with some physical system in a domain different from electromagnetism as advocated by William Thomson; rather, he constructed an entirely artificial one to suit his needs. Following North, we claim that the modification which Maxwell introduced to the methodology of analogy has not been properly appreciated. In view of our examination of the evidence, we argue that Maxwell gave a new meaning to analogy; in fact, it comes close to modeling in current usage.

  7. Concept confusion and concept discernment in basic magnetism using analogical reasoning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lemmer, Miriam; Nicodimus Morabe, Olebogeng

    2017-07-01

    Analogical reasoning is central to all learning, whether in daily life situations, in the classroom or while doing research. Although analogies can aid the learning process of making sense of phenomena and understanding new ideas in terms of known ideas, these should be used with care. This article reports a study of the use of analogies and the consequences of this use in the teaching of magnetism with special reference to misconceptions. We begin by identifying concept confusion and associated misconceptions in magnetism due to in-service physics teachers’ spontaneous analogical reasoning. Two analogy-based experiments that can be used to convert such concept confusion to discernment are then described. These experiments focus on understanding basic principles about sources and interactions of magnetic fields and implement the constructivist learning processes of discrimination and generalization. Lastly, recommendations towards reinforcement of conceptual understanding of basic magnetism in its relation to electricity are proposed.

  8. Using Analogy to Overcome Misconceptions about Conservation of Matter.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stavy, Ruth

    1991-01-01

    This study (n=192) examined the use of analogical instruction to overcome misconceptions about conservation of matter. Students who understood the concept conservation of matter when iodine was evaporated were able to transfer their understanding to the evaporation of acetone. This indicates that teaching by analogy can be an effective tool in…

  9. Method to generate highly stable D-amino acid analogs of bioactive helical peptides using a mirror image of the entire PDB.

    PubMed

    Garton, Michael; Nim, Satra; Stone, Tracy A; Wang, Kyle Ethan; Deber, Charles M; Kim, Philip M

    2018-02-13

    Biologics are a rapidly growing class of therapeutics with many advantages over traditional small molecule drugs. A major obstacle to their development is that proteins and peptides are easily destroyed by proteases and, thus, typically have prohibitively short half-lives in human gut, plasma, and cells. One of the most effective ways to prevent degradation is to engineer analogs from dextrorotary (D)-amino acids, with up to 10 5 -fold improvements in potency reported. We here propose a general peptide-engineering platform that overcomes limitations of previous methods. By creating a mirror image of every structure in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), we generate a database of ∼2.8 million D-peptides. To obtain a D-analog of a given peptide, we search the (D)-PDB for similar configurations of its critical-"hotspot"-residues. As a proof of concept, we apply our method to two peptides that are Food and Drug Administration approved as therapeutics for diabetes and osteoporosis, respectively. We obtain D-analogs that activate the GLP1 and PTH1 receptors with the same efficacy as their natural counterparts and show greatly increased half-life. Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.

  10. Sensing Methods for Detecting Analog Television Signals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rahman, Mohammad Azizur; Song, Chunyi; Harada, Hiroshi

    This paper introduces a unified method of spectrum sensing for all existing analog television (TV) signals including NTSC, PAL and SECAM. We propose a correlation based method (CBM) with a single reference signal for sensing any analog TV signals. In addition we also propose an improved energy detection method. The CBM approach has been implemented in a hardware prototype specially designed for participating in Singapore TV white space (WS) test trial conducted by Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of the Singapore government. Analytical and simulation results of the CBM method will be presented in the paper, as well as hardware testing results for sensing various analog TV signals. Both AWGN and fading channels will be considered. It is shown that the theoretical results closely match with those from simulations. Sensing performance of the hardware prototype will also be presented in fading environment by using a fading simulator. We present performance of the proposed techniques in terms of probability of false alarm, probability of detection, sensing time etc. We also present a comparative study of the various techniques.

  11. Analog Computer Laboratory with Biological Examples.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strebel, Donald E.

    1979-01-01

    The use of biological examples in teaching applications of the analog computer is discussed and several examples from mathematical ecology, enzyme kinetics, and tracer dynamics are described. (Author/GA)

  12. Mutagen Synergy: Hypermutability Generated by Specific Pairs of Base Analogs

    PubMed Central

    Ang, Jocelyn; Song, Lisa Yun; D'Souza, Sara; Hong, Irene L.; Luhar, Rohan; Yung, Madeline

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT We tested pairwise combinations of classical base analog mutagens in Escherichia coli to study possible mutagen synergies. We examined the cytidine analogs zebularine (ZEB) and 5-azacytidine (5AZ), the adenine analog 2-aminopurine (2AP), and the uridine/thymidine analog 5-bromodeoxyuridine (5BrdU). We detected a striking synergy with the 2AP plus ZEB combination, resulting in hypermutability, a 35-fold increase in mutation frequency (to 53,000 × 10−8) in the rpoB gene over that with either mutagen alone. A weak synergy was also detected with 2AP plus 5AZ and with 5BrdU plus ZEB. The pairing of 2AP and 5BrdU resulted in suppression, lowering the mutation frequency of 5BrdU alone by 6.5-fold. Sequencing the mutations from the 2AP plus ZEB combination showed the predominance of two new hot spots for A·T→G·C transitions that are not well represented in either single mutagen spectrum, and one of which is not found even in the spectrum of a mismatch repair-deficient strain. The strong synergy between 2AP and ZEB could be explained by changes in the dinucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) pools. IMPORTANCE Although mutagens have been widely studied, the mutagenic effects of combinations of mutagens have not been fully researched. Here, we show that certain pairwise combinations of base analog mutagens display synergy or suppression. In particular, the combination of 2-aminopurine and zebularine, analogs of adenine and cytidine, respectively, shows a 35-fold increased mutation frequency compared with that of either mutagen alone. Understanding the mechanism of synergy can lead to increased understanding of mutagenic processes. As combinations of base analogs are used in certain chemotherapy regimens, including those involving ZEB and 5AZ, these results indicate that testing the mutagenicity of all drug combinations is prudent. PMID:27457718

  13. Cometabolism of DDT analogs by a Pseudomonas sp.

    PubMed Central

    Francis, A J; Spanggord, R J; Ouchi, G I; Bohonos, N

    1978-01-01

    A Pseudomonas sp. capable of growth on several nonchlorinated and mono-p-chloro-substituted analogs of DDT as a sole carbon source degraded bis(p-chlorophenyl)methane and 1,1-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane only in the presence of diphenylethane. The products p-chlorophenylacetic acid and 2-(p-chlorophenyl)-propionic acid were not further metabolized by the bacterium. Other chlorinated analogs of DDT were found to be recalcitrant to cometabolic degradation with diphenylethane. PMID:637537

  14. System and method for linearly amplifying optical analog signals by backward Raman scattering

    DOEpatents

    Lin, Cheng-Heui

    1988-01-01

    A system for linearly amplifying an optical analog signal by backward stimulated Raman scattering comprises a laser source for generating a pump pulse; and an optic fiber having two opposed apertures, a first aperture for receiving the pump pulse and a second aperture for receiving the optical analog signal, wherein the optical analog signal is linearly amplified to an amplified optical analog signal.

  15. System and method for linearly amplifying optical analog signals by backward Raman scattering

    DOEpatents

    Lin, Cheng-Heui

    1988-07-05

    A system for linearly amplifying an optical analog signal by backward stimulated Raman scattering comprises a laser source for generating a pump pulse; and an optic fiber having two opposed apertures, a first aperture for receiving the pump pulse and a second aperture for receiving the optical analog signal, wherein the optical analog signal is linearly amplified to an amplified optical analog signal.

  16. The Acoustic Analogy and Alternative Theories for Jet Noise Prediction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morris, Philip J.; Farassat, F.; Morris, Philip J.

    2002-01-01

    This paper describes several methods for the prediction of jet noise. All but one of the noise prediction schemes are based on Lighthill's or Lilley's acoustic analogy while the other is the jet noise generation model recently proposed by Tam and Auriault. In all the approaches some assumptions must be made concerning the statistical properties of the turbulent sources. In each case the characteristic scales of the turbulence are obtained from a solution of the Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes equation using a k-epsilon turbulence model. It is shown that, for the same level of empiricism, Tam and Auriault's model yields better agreement with experimental noise measurements than the acoustic analogy. It is then shown that this result is not because of some fundamental flaw in the acoustic analogy approach: but, is associated with the assumptions made in the approximation of the turbulent source statistics. If consistent assumptions are made, both the acoustic analogy and Tam and Auriault's model yield identical noise predictions. The paper concludes with a proposal for an acoustic analogy that provides a clearer identification of the equivalent source mechanisms and a discussion of noise prediction issues that remain to be resolved.

  17. The Acoustic Analogy and Alternative Theories for Jet Noise Prediction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morris, Philip J.; Farassat, F.

    2002-01-01

    This paper describes several methods for the prediction of jet noise. All but one of the noise prediction schemes are based on Lighthill's or Lilley's acoustic analogy while the other is the jet noise generation model recently proposed by Tam and Auriault. In all the approaches some assumptions must be made concerning the statistical properties of the turbulent sources. In each case the characteristic scales of the turbulence are obtained from a solution of the Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes equation using a k - epsilon turbulence model. It is shown that, for the same level of empiricism, Tam and Auriault's model yields better agreement with experimental noise measurements than the acoustic analogy. It is then shown that this result is not because of some fundamental flaw in the acoustic analogy approach: but, is associated with the assumptions made in the approximation of the turbulent source statistics. If consistent assumptions are made, both the acoustic analogy and Tam and Auriault's model yield identical noise predictions. The paper concludes with a proposal for an acoustic analogy that provides a clearer identification of the equivalent source mechanisms and a discussion of noise prediction issues that remain to be resolved.

  18. Drawing Analogies to Deepen Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fava, Michelle

    2017-01-01

    This article offers examples of how drawing can facilitate thinking skills that promote analogical reasoning to enable deeper learning. The instructional design applies cognitive principles, briefly described here. The workshops were developed iteratively, through feedback from student and teacher participants. Elements of the UK National…

  19. Algicidal Activity of Stilbene Analogs

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    As part of our continuing search for natural product and natural product-based compounds for the control of off-flavor in catfish, a total of twenty nine stilbene analogs were synthesized and evaluated for algicidal activity against the 2-methylisoborneol (MIB)-producing cyanobacterium Oscillatoria ...

  20. New cytotoxic benzosuberene analogs. Synthesis, molecular modeling and biological evaluation.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zecheng; Maderna, Andreas; Sukuru, Sai Chetan K; Wagenaar, Melissa; O'Donnell, Christopher J; Lam, My-Hanh; Musto, Sylvia; Loganzo, Frank

    2013-12-15

    In this Letter we describe the synthesis and biological evaluation of new benzosuberene analogs with structural modifications on the B-ring. The focus was initially to probe the chemical space around the B-ring C-8 position. This position was readily available for derivatization chemistry using our recently developed new synthesis for this compound class. Furthermore, we describe two new B-ring analogs, one containing a diene and the other a cyclic ether group. Both new analogs show excellent potencies in tumor cell proliferation assays. In addition, we describe molecular modeling studies that provide a binding rationale for reference compound 8 in the colchicine binding site using the known colchicine crystal structure. We also examine whether the cell based potency data obtained with selected new analogs are supported by modeling results. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Configurable analog-digital conversion using the neural engineering framework

    PubMed Central

    Mayr, Christian G.; Partzsch, Johannes; Noack, Marko; Schüffny, Rene

    2014-01-01

    Efficient Analog-Digital Converters (ADC) are one of the mainstays of mixed-signal integrated circuit design. Besides the conventional ADCs used in mainstream ICs, there have been various attempts in the past to utilize neuromorphic networks to accomplish an efficient crossing between analog and digital domains, i.e., to build neurally inspired ADCs. Generally, these have suffered from the same problems as conventional ADCs, that is they require high-precision, handcrafted analog circuits and are thus not technology portable. In this paper, we present an ADC based on the Neural Engineering Framework (NEF). It carries out a large fraction of the overall ADC process in the digital domain, i.e., it is easily portable across technologies. The analog-digital conversion takes full advantage of the high degree of parallelism inherent in neuromorphic networks, making for a very scalable ADC. In addition, it has a number of features not commonly found in conventional ADCs, such as a runtime reconfigurability of the ADC sampling rate, resolution and transfer characteristic. PMID:25100933

  2. Extension of analog network coding in wireless information exchange

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Cheng; Huang, Jiaqing

    2012-01-01

    Ever since the concept of analog network coding(ANC) was put forward by S.Katti, much attention has been focused on how to utilize analog network coding to take advantage of wireless interference, which used to be considered generally harmful, to improve throughput performance. Previously, only the case of two nodes that need to exchange information has been fully discussed while the issue of extending analog network coding to more than three nodes remains undeveloped. In this paper, we propose a practical transmission scheme to extend analog network coding to more than two nodes that need to exchange information among themselves. We start with the case of three nodes that need to exchange information and demonstrate that through utilizing our algorithm, the throughput can achieve 33% and 20% increase compared with that of traditional transmission scheduling and digital network coding, respectively. Then, we generalize the algorithm so that it can fit for occasions with any number of nodes. We also discuss some technical issues and throughput analysis as well as the bit error rate.

  3. The Nature of Analogical Explanations: High School Physics Teachers Use in Kenya

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nashon, Samson Madera

    2004-01-01

    This paper is about a study into the nature of analogies recorded from three Form 2 (Grade 10) classes in Kenya, instructed by three physics teachers. Through a case study method involving classroom observation, several analogies were recorded and analysed. These analogies were predominantly "environmental" (drawn from students'…

  4. Flow cytomeric measurement of DNA and incorporated nucleoside analogs

    DOEpatents

    Dolbeare, Frank A.; Gray, Joe W.

    1989-01-01

    A method is provided for simultaneously measuring total cellular DNA and incorporated nucleoside analog. The method entails altering the cellular DNA of cells grown in the presence of a nucleoside analog so that single stranded and double stranded portions are present. Separate stains are used against the two portions. An immunochemical stain is used against the single stranded portion to provide a measure of incorporated nucleoside analog, and a double strand DNA-specific stain is used against the double stranded portion to simultaneously provide a measure of total cellular DNA. The method permits rapid flow cytometric analysis of cell populations, rapid identification of cycling and noncycling subpopulations, and determination of the efficacy of S phase cytotoxic anticancer agents.

  5. Relation Between the Generalized Acoustic Analogy and Lilley's Contributions to Aeroacoustics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goldstein, M. E.

    2010-01-01

    This paper reviews Lilley s reformulation of Lighthill s equation and shows that it can be obtained as a special case of a much more general acoustic analogy. It also shows how this generalized analogy can be used to eliminate some of the difficulties that arise when more conventional parallel flow analogies are applied to high speed jets. And, finally, some recent applications of these ideas are discussed.

  6. Qualitative Differences in Real-Time Solution of Standardized Figural Analogies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schiano, Diane J.; And Others

    Performance on standardized figural analogy tests is considered highly predictive of academic success. While information-processing models of analogy solution attribute performance differences to quantitative differences in processing parameters, the problem-solving literature suggests that qualitative differences in problem representation and…

  7. Promoting Learning through the Use of Analogies in High School Biology Textbooks.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Radford, David L.

    A model for developing instructional analogies was used to produce experimental treatments that included text from a high school biology textbook to which was added extended verbal analogies written by the researcher linking each of two biology concepts to analogous familiar concepts. The control treatment was text from the biology textbook…

  8. The Role of Prior Knowledge in Learning from Analogies in Science Texts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Braasch, Jason L. G.; Goldman, Susan R.

    2010-01-01

    Two experiments examined whether inconsistent effects of analogies in promoting new content learning from text are related to prior knowledge of the analogy "per se." In Experiment 1, college students who demonstrated little understanding of weather systems and different levels of prior knowledge (more vs. less) of an analogous everyday…

  9. Digital redesign of anti-wind-up controller for cascaded analog system.

    PubMed

    Chen, Y S; Tsai, J S H; Shieh, L S; Moussighi, M M

    2003-01-01

    The cascaded conventional anti-wind-up (CAW) design method for integral controller is discussed. Then, the prediction-based digital redesign methodology is utilized to find the new pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) digital controller for effective digital control of the analog plant with input saturation constraint. The desired digital controller is determined from existing or pre-designed CAW analog controller. The proposed method provides a novel methodology for indirect digital design of a continuous-time unity output-feedback system with a cascaded analog controller as in the case of PID controllers for industrial control processes with the presence of actuator saturations. It enables us to implement an existing or pre-designed cascaded CAW analog controller via a digital controller effectively.

  10. Moving Toward Bioadjuvant Approaches to Head and Neck Cancer Prevention

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Saba, Nabil F.; Hammond, Anthea; Shin, Dong M.

    2007-10-01

    Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma affects >45,000 Americans annually. Patients who are successfully treated for their primary tumor are at high risk of developing a second primary tumor, making effective preventive strategies highly desirable for this disease. Although a landmark study in 1990 suggested some benefit of high-dose retinoids in head and neck cancer prevention, subsequent trials using more tolerable doses have shown limited clinical success. Newer preventive strategies have included bioadjuvant therapy combining retinoids with interferon and {alpha}-tocopherol, combinations of molecularly targeted agents, and oncolytic viruses. Furthermore, considerable evidence has supported a cancer protective role for several nutrients,more » including green tea and curcumin analogs. Natural compounds such as these with favorable long-term safety profiles might be particularly suited to the cancer prevention setting, in which patients will usually tolerate only moderate risk and toxicity.« less

  11. Novel anticancer polymeric conjugates of activated nucleoside analogs

    PubMed Central

    Senanayake, Thulani H.; Warren, Galya; Vinogradov, Serguei V.

    2011-01-01

    Inherent or therapy-induced drug resistance is a major clinical setback in cancer treatment. The extensive usage of cytotoxic nucleobases and nucleoside analogs in chemotherapy also results in the development of specific mechanisms of drug resistance; such as nucleoside transport or activation deficiencies. These drugs are prodrugs; and being converted into the active mono-, di- and triphosphates inside cancer cells following administration, they affect nucleic acid synthesis, nucleotide metabolism, or sensitivity to apoptosis. Previously, we have actively promoted the idea that the nanodelivery of active nucleotide species, e.g. 5′-triphosphates of nucleoside analogs, can enhance drug efficacy and reduce nonspecific toxicity. In this study we report the development of a novel type of drug nanoformulations, polymeric conjugates of nucleoside analogs, which are capable of the efficient transport and sustained release of phosphorylated drugs. These drug conjugates have been synthesized, starting from cholesterol-modified mucoadhesive polyvinyl alcohol or biodegradable dextrin, by covalent attachment of nucleoside analogs through a tetraphosphate linker. Association of cholesterol moieties in aqueous media resulted in intramolecular polymer folding and the formation of small nanogel particles containing 0.5 mmol/g of a 5′-phosphorylated nucleoside analog, e.g. 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine (floxuridine, FdU), an active metabolite of anticancer drug 5-fluorouracyl (5-FU). The polymeric conjugates demonstrated rapid enzymatic release of floxuridine 5′-phosphate and much slower drug release under hydrolytic conditions (pH 1.0–7.4). Among the panel of cancer cell lines, all studied polymeric FdU-conjugates demonstrated an up to 50 times increased cytotoxicity in human prostate cancer PC-3, breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, and more than 100 times higher efficacy against cytarabine-resistant human T-lymphoma (CEM/araC/8) and gemcitabine-resistant follicular

  12. A synthetic decursin analog with increased in vivo stability suppresses androgen receptor signaling in vitro and in vivo.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yong; Shaik, Ahmad Ali; Xing, Chengguo; Chai, Yubo; Li, Li; Zhang, Jinhui; Zhang, Wei; Kim, Sung-Hoon; Lü, Junxuan; Jiang, Cheng

    2012-10-01

    Targeting androgen receptor (AR) signaling with agents distinct from current antagonist drugs remains a rational approach to the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). Our previous studies have shown that decursin and isomer decursinol angelate (DA), isolated from the Korean medicinal herb Angelica gigas Nakai, interrupt AR signaling and possess anti-PCa activities in vitro. In the LNCaP PCa cell model, these pyranoccoumarin compounds exhibit properties distinct from currently used antagonists (e.g., Casodex). However, both are rapidly de-esterified to decursinol, a partial AR agonist. We report here that a synthetic decursin analog, decursinol phenylthiocarbamate (DPTC), has greater in vivo stability than the parent compounds. DPTC-decursinol conversion was undetectable in mice. Furthermore, in LNCaP cells, DPTC decreased prostate specific antigen (PSA) expression, down-regulated AR abundance and mRNA and inhibited AR nuclear translocation. The effect of DPTC on AR and PSA mRNA and protein abundance was also observed in VCaP cells expressing wild type AR. DPTC inhibited growth of both PCa cell lines through G(1) cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, as did decursin and DA. Furthermore, i.p. administration of DPTC for 3 weeks suppressed the expression of AR target genes probasin and Nkx3.1 in mouse prostate glands. Overall, our data suggest that DPTC represents a prototype lead compound for development of in vivo stable and active novel decursin analogs for the prevention or therapy of PCa.

  13. Analog Input Data Acquisition Software

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Arens, Ellen

    2009-01-01

    DAQ Master Software allows users to easily set up a system to monitor up to five analog input channels and save the data after acquisition. This program was written in LabVIEW 8.0, and requires the LabVIEW runtime engine 8.0 to run the executable.

  14. The GMO-Nanotech (Dis)Analogy?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandler, Ronald; Kay, W. D.

    2006-01-01

    The genetically-modified-organism (GMO) experience has been prominent in motivating science, industry, and regulatory communities to address the social and ethical dimensions of nanotechnology. However, there are some significant problems with the GMO-nanotech analogy. First, it overstates the likelihood of a GMO-like backlash against…

  15. Analogy between Thermodynamics and Mechanics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterson, Mark A.

    1979-01-01

    Establishes and illustrates a formal analogy between the motion of a particle and the "motion" of the equilibrium state of a homogeneous system in a quasistatic process. The purpose is to show that there is a much larger set of natural coordinate transformations in thermodynamics. (GA)

  16. Morphometry of Left Frontal and Temporal Poles Predicts Analogical Reasoning Abilities.

    PubMed

    Aichelburg, Clarisse; Urbanski, Marika; Thiebaut de Schotten, Michel; Humbert, Frederic; Levy, Richard; Volle, Emmanuelle

    2016-03-01

    Analogical reasoning is critical for making inferences and adapting to novelty. It can be studied experimentally using tasks that require creating similarities between situations or concepts, i.e., when their constituent elements share a similar organization or structure. Brain correlates of analogical reasoning have mostly been explored using functional imaging that has highlighted the involvement of the left rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (rlPFC) in healthy subjects. However, whether inter-individual variability in analogical reasoning ability in a healthy adult population is related to differences in brain architecture is unknown. We investigated this question by employing linear regression models of performance in analogy tasks and voxel-based morphometry in 54 healthy subjects. Our results revealed that the ability to reason by analogy was associated with structural variability in the left rlPFC and the anterior part of the inferolateral temporal cortex. Tractography of diffusion-weighted images suggested that these 2 regions have a different set of connections but may exchange information via the arcuate fasciculus. These results suggest that enhanced integrative and semantic abilities supported by structural variation in these areas (or their connectivity) may lead to more efficient analogical reasoning. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. Processing-optimised imaging of analog geological models by electrical capacitance tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ortiz Alemán, C.; Espíndola-Carmona, A.; Hernández-Gómez, J. J.; Orozco Del Castillo, MG

    2017-06-01

    In this work, the electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) technique is applied in monitoring internal deformation of geological analog models, which are used to study structural deformation mechanisms, in particular for simulating migration and emplacement of allochtonous salt bodies. A rectangular ECT sensor was used for internal visualization of analog geologic deformation. The monitoring of analog models consists in the reconstruction of permittivity images from the capacitance measurements obtained by introducing the model inside the ECT sensor. A simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is used as a reconstruction method, and is optimized by taking full advantage of some special features in a linearized version of this inverse approach. As a second part of this work our SA image reconstruction algorithm is applied to synthetic models, where its performance is evaluated in comparison to other commonly used algorithms such as linear back-projection and iterative Landweber methods. Finally, the SA method is applied to visualise two simple geological analog models. Encouraging results were obtained in terms of the quality of the reconstructed images, as interfaces corresponding to main geological units in the analog model were clearly distinguishable in them. We found reliable results quite useful for real time non-invasive monitoring of internal deformation of analog geological models.

  18. C-Glycosyl Analogs of Oligosaccharides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vauzeilles, Boris; Urban, Dominique; Doisneau, Gilles; Beau, Jean-Marie

    This chapter covers the synthesis of a large collection of "C-oligosaccharides ", synthetic analogs of naturally occurring oligosaccharides in which a carbon atom replaces the anomeric, interglycosidic oxygen atom. These non-natural constructs are stable to chemical and enzymatic degradation, and are primarily devised to probe carbohydrate-based biological processes. These mainly target carbohydrate-protein interactions such as the modulation of glycoenzyme (glycosylhydrolases and transferases) activities or the design of ligands for lectin Carbohydrate Recognition Domains. The discussion is based on the key carbon-carbon bond assembling steps on carbohydrate templates: ionic (anionic and cationic chemistries, sigmatropic rearrangements) or radical assemblage, and olefin metathesis. Synthetic schemes in which at least one of the monosaccharide units is constructed by total synthesis or by cyclization of acyclic chiral chains are presented separately in a "partial de novo synthesis" section. The review also provides comments, when they are known, on the conformational and binding properties of these synthetic analogs, as well as their biological behavior when tested.

  19. Analog computation of auto and cross-correlation functions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1974-01-01

    For analysis of the data obtained from the cross beam systems it was deemed desirable to compute the auto- and cross-correlation functions by both digital and analog methods to provide a cross-check of the analysis methods and an indication as to which of the two methods would be most suitable for routine use in the analysis of such data. It is the purpose of this appendix to provide a concise description of the equipment and procedures used for the electronic analog analysis of the cross beam data. A block diagram showing the signal processing and computation set-up used for most of the analog data analysis is provided. The data obtained at the field test sites were recorded on magnetic tape using wide-band FM recording techniques. The data as recorded were band-pass filtered by electronic signal processing in the data acquisition systems.

  20. [Synthesis and biological activity of substance P analogs].

    PubMed

    Liu, S Y; Zhong, M N; Dong, Y X; Li, Y L; Yuan, X M

    1997-12-01

    Substance P (SP) and its three analogs were synthesized through solid-phase procedure. The fully-protected peptide-resin was cleaved with anhydrous HF.--SH of Cys in [Cys5,9] SP(4-11) was protected with Acm, then deprotected through Iodine oxidation method, the disulfide bridge cyclization was formed subsequently. The crude product was purified on C18 RP-HPLC. The results of guinea-pig isolated ileum test (GPI) showed that the potency of the analogs was as follows: [AcGln5, Pro9] SP(5-11) > SP > SP(4-11) > [Cys5,9] SP(4-11). They induced GPI to contract very fast and showed the characteristics of tachykinin. On the writing test in mice, the results showed: [Cys5,9] SP(4-11) > SP > SP(4-11) > [AcGln5, Pro9] SP(5-11). The biological tests showed that the SP analogs have some extent of selectivity.

  1. Basalt: Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lim, D. S. S.; Abercromby, A.; Kobs-Nawotniak, S. E.; Kobayashi, L.; Hughes, S. S.; Chappell, S.; Bramall, N. E.; Deans, M. C.; Heldmann, J. L.; Downs, M.; Cockell, C. S.; Stevens, A. H.; Caldwell, B.; Hoffman, J.; Vadhavk, N.; Marquez, J.; Miller, M.; Squyres, S. W.; Lees, D. S.; Fong, T.; Cohen, T.; Smith, T.; Lee, G.; Frank, J.; Colaprete, A.

    2015-12-01

    This presentation will provide an overview of the BASALT (Biologic Analog Science Associated with Lava Terrains) program. BASALT research addresses Science, Science Operations, and Technology. Specifically, BASALT is focused on the investigation of terrestrial volcanic terrains and their habitability as analog environments for early and present-day Mars. Our scientific fieldwork is conducted under simulated Mars mission constraints to evaluate strategically selected concepts of operations (ConOps) and capabilities with respect to their anticipated value for the joint human and robotic exploration of Mars. a) Science: The BASALT science program is focused on understanding habitability conditions of early and present-day Mars in two relevant Mars-analog locations (the Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ) and the East Rift Zone (ERZ) flows on the Big Island of Hawai'i and the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) in Idaho) to characterize and compare the physical and geochemical conditions of life in these environments and to learn how to seek, identify, and characterize life and life-related chemistry in basaltic environments representing these two epochs of martian history. b) Science Operations: The BASALT team will conduct real (non-simulated) biological and geological science at two high-fidelity Mars analogs, all within simulated Mars mission conditions (including communication latencies and bandwidth constraints) that are based on current architectural assumptions for Mars exploration missions. We will identify which human-robotic ConOps and supporting capabilities enable science return and discovery. c) Technology: BASALT will incorporate and evaluate technologies in to our field operations that are directly relevant to conducting the scientific investigations regarding life and life-related chemistry in Mars-analogous terrestrial environments. BASALT technologies include the use of mobile science platforms, extravehicular informatics, display technologies, communication

  2. CMOS analog switches for adaptive filters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dixon, C. E.

    1980-01-01

    Adaptive active low-pass filters incorporate CMOS (Complimentary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) analog switches (such as 4066 switch) that reduce variation in switch resistance when filter is switched to any selected transfer function.

  3. Biostable beta-Amino Acid PK/PBAN Analogs: Agonist and Antagonist Properties

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-01-01

    peptidases neprilysin and angiotensin converting enzyme that are shown to degrade the natural peptides . Despite the changes to the PK core, analog PK-bA-4...bound peptidase - resistant analogs of the insect allatostatins. Peptides 1999;20:23–9. [21] Nachman RJ, Holman GM, Cook BJ. Active fragments and...pheromonotropic activity of peptidase -resistant topical amphiphilic analogs of pyrokinin/PBAN insect neuropeptides. Peptides 2002;23:2035–43. [28] Nachman RJ

  4. The use of dexrazoxane for the prevention of anthracycline extravasation injury.

    PubMed

    Hasinoff, Brian B

    2008-02-01

    The use of the anthracycline anticancer drugs doxorubicin, daunorubicin, epirubicin and idarubicin sometimes results in accidental extravasation injury and can be a serious complication of their use. The object of this review was to evaluate the preclinical and clinical literature on the use of dexrazoxane in preventing anthracycline-induced extravasation injury. A review of the literature was carried out using PubMed. Dexrazoxane, which is clinically used to reduce doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, has been shown in two clinical studies and in several case reports to be highly efficacious in preventing anthracycline-induced extravasation injury. Dexrazoxane is a prodrug analog of the metal chelator EDTA that likely acts by removing iron from the iron-anthracycline complex, thus preventing formation of damaging reactive oxygen species.

  5. Analog Video Authentication and Seal Verification Equipment Development

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gregory Lancaster

    Under contract to the US Department of Energy in support of arms control treaty verification activities, the Savannah River National Laboratory in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the Idaho National Laboratory and Milagro Consulting, LLC developed equipment for use within a chain of custody regime. This paper discussed two specific devices, the Authentication Through the Lens (ATL) analog video authentication system and a photographic multi-seal reader. Both of these devices have been demonstrated in a field trial, and the experience gained throughout will also be discussed. Typically, cryptographic methods are used to prove the authenticity of digital imagesmore » and video used in arms control chain of custody applications. However, in some applications analog cameras are used. Since cryptographic authentication methods will not work on analog video streams, a simple method of authenticating analog video was developed and tested. A photographic multi-seal reader was developed to image different types of visual unique identifiers for use in chain of custody and authentication activities. This seal reader is unique in its ability to image various types of seals including the Cobra Seal, Reflective Particle Tags, and adhesive seals. Flicker comparison is used to compare before and after images collected with the seal reader in order to detect tampering and verify the integrity of the seal.« less

  6. Mathematical Analogy and Metaphorical Insight

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zwicky, Jan

    2010-01-01

    How are we to understand the power of certain literary metaphors? The author argues that the apprehension of good metaphors is importantly similar to the apprehension of fruitful mathematical analogies: both involve a structural realignment of vision. The author then explores consequences of this claim, drawing conceptually significant parallels…

  7. Bayesian Analogy with Relational Transformations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lu, Hongjing; Chen, Dawn; Holyoak, Keith J.

    2012-01-01

    How can humans acquire relational representations that enable analogical inference and other forms of high-level reasoning? Using comparative relations as a model domain, we explore the possibility that bottom-up learning mechanisms applied to objects coded as feature vectors can yield representations of relations sufficient to solve analogy…

  8. Observations of Crew Dynamics During Mars Analog Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cusack, Stacy L.

    2009-01-01

    Crewmembers on Mars missions will face new and unique challenges compared to those in close communications proximity to Mission Control centers. Crews on Mars will likely become more autonomous and responsible for their day-to-day planning. These explorers will need to make frequent real time decisions without the assistance of large ground support teams. Ground-centric control will no longer be an option due to the communications delays. As a result of the new decision making model, crew dynamics and leadership styles of future astronauts may become significantly different from the demands of today. As a volunteer for the Mars Society on two Mars analog missions, this presenter will discuss observations made during isolated, surface exploration simulations. The need for careful crew selections, not just based on individual skill sets, but on overall team interactions becomes apparent very quickly when the crew is planning their own days and deciding their own priorities. Even more important is the selection of a Mission Commander who can lead a team of highly skilled individuals with strong and varied opinions in a way that promotes crew consensus, maintains fairness, and prevents unnecessary crew fatigue.

  9. Exploring the use of multiple analogical models when teaching and learning chemical equilibrium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harrison, Allan G.; de Jong, Onno

    2005-12-01

    This study describes the multiple analogical models used to introduce and teach Grade 12 chemical equilibrium. We examine the teacher's reasons for using models, explain each model's development during the lessons, and analyze the understandings students derived from the models. A case study approach was used and the data were drawn from the observation of three consecutive Grade 12 lessons on chemical equilibrium, pre- and post-lesson interviews, and delayed student interviews. The key analogical models used in teaching were: the school dance; the sugar in a teacup; the pot of curry; and the busy highway. The lesson and interview data were subject to multiple, independent analyses and yielded the following outcomes: The teacher planned to use the students' prior knowledge wherever possible and he responded to student questions with stories and extended and enriched analogies. He planned to discuss where each analogy broke down but did not. The students enjoyed the teaching but built variable mental models of equilibrium and some of their analogical mappings were unreliable. A female student disliked masculine analogies, other students tended to see elements of the multiple models in isolation, and some did not recognize all the analogical mappings embedded in the teaching plan. Most students learned that equilibrium reactions are dynamic, occur in closed systems, and the forward and reverse reactions are balanced. We recommend the use of multiple analogies like these and insist that teachers always show where the analogy breaks down and carefully negotiate the conceptual outcomes.

  10. Reasoning by analogy as an aid to heuristic theorem proving.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kling, R. E.

    1972-01-01

    When heuristic problem-solving programs are faced with large data bases that contain numbers of facts far in excess of those needed to solve any particular problem, their performance rapidly deteriorates. In this paper, the correspondence between a new unsolved problem and a previously solved analogous problem is computed and invoked to tailor large data bases to manageable sizes. This paper outlines the design of an algorithm for generating and exploiting analogies between theorems posed to a resolution-logic system. These algorithms are believed to be the first computationally feasible development of reasoning by analogy to be applied to heuristic theorem proving.

  11. Low-power analog integrated circuits for wireless ECG acquisition systems.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Tsung-Heng; Hong, Jia-Hua; Wang, Liang-Hung; Lee, Shuenn-Yuh

    2012-09-01

    This paper presents low-power analog ICs for wireless ECG acquisition systems. Considering the power-efficient communication in the body sensor network, the required low-power analog ICs are developed for a healthcare system through miniaturization and system integration. To acquire the ECG signal, a low-power analog front-end system, including an ECG signal acquisition board, an on-chip low-pass filter, and an on-chip successive-approximation analog-to-digital converter for portable ECG detection devices is presented. A quadrature CMOS voltage-controlled oscillator and a 2.4 GHz direct-conversion transmitter with a power amplifier and upconversion mixer are also developed to transmit the ECG signal through wireless communication. In the receiver, a 2.4 GHz fully integrated CMOS RF front end with a low-noise amplifier, differential power splitter, and quadrature mixer based on current-reused folded architecture is proposed. The circuits have been implemented to meet the specifications of the IEEE 802.15.4 2.4 GHz standard. The low-power ICs of the wireless ECG acquisition systems have been fabricated using a 0.18 μm Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) CMOS standard process. The measured results on the human body reveal that ECG signals can be acquired effectively by the proposed low-power analog front-end ICs.

  12. Automatic Generation of Analogy Questions for Student Assessment: An Ontology-Based Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alsubait, Tahani; Parsia, Bijan; Sattler, Uli

    2012-01-01

    Different computational models for generating analogies of the form "A is to B as C is to D" have been proposed over the past 35 years. However, analogy generation is a challenging problem that requires further research. In this article, we present a new approach for generating analogies in Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) format that can be used…

  13. Analog cosmological particle generation in a superconducting circuit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Zehua; Jing, Jiliang; Dragan, Andrzej

    2017-06-01

    We propose the use of a waveguidelike transmission line based on direct-current superconducting quantum interference devices (dc-SQUID) and demonstrate that the node flux in this transmission line behaves in the same way as quantum fields in an expanding (or contracting) universe. We show how to detect the analog cosmological particle generation and analyze its feasibility with current circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) technology. Our setup in principle paves a new way for the exploration of analog quantum gravitational effects.

  14. Stabilometer Computerized Analog Recording System for Studying Gross Motor Skill Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chasey, William C., Jr.; And Others

    1976-01-01

    The stabilometer computerized analog recording system (SCARS) provides for storing analog and digital information on a single channel audio tape recorder at lower cost and greater versatility than other systems. (MB)

  15. Reasoning by analogy requires the left frontal pole: lesion-deficit mapping and clinical implications.

    PubMed

    Urbanski, Marika; Bréchemier, Marie-Laure; Garcin, Béatrice; Bendetowicz, David; Thiebaut de Schotten, Michel; Foulon, Chris; Rosso, Charlotte; Clarençon, Frédéric; Dupont, Sophie; Pradat-Diehl, Pascale; Labeyrie, Marc-Antoine; Levy, Richard; Volle, Emmanuelle

    2016-06-01

    SEE BURGESS DOI101093/BRAIN/AWW092 FOR A SCIENTIFIC COMMENTARY ON THIS ARTICLE  : Analogical reasoning is at the core of the generalization and abstraction processes that enable concept formation and creativity. The impact of neurological diseases on analogical reasoning is poorly known, despite its importance in everyday life and in society. Neuroimaging studies of healthy subjects and the few studies that have been performed on patients have highlighted the importance of the prefrontal cortex in analogical reasoning. However, the critical cerebral bases for analogical reasoning deficits remain elusive. In the current study, we examined analogical reasoning abilities in 27 patients with focal damage in the frontal lobes and performed voxel-based lesion-behaviour mapping and tractography analyses to investigate the structures critical for analogical reasoning. The findings revealed that damage to the left rostrolateral prefrontal region (or some of its long-range connections) specifically impaired the ability to reason by analogies. A short version of the analogy task predicted the existence of a left rostrolateral prefrontal lesion with good accuracy. Experimental manipulations of the analogy tasks suggested that this region plays a role in relational matching or integration. The current lesion approach demonstrated that the left rostrolateral prefrontal region is a critical node in the analogy network. Our results also suggested that analogy tasks should be translated to clinical practice to refine the neuropsychological assessment of patients with frontal lobe lesions. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  16. Periglacial and glacial analogs for Martian landforms

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rossbacher, Lisa A.

    1992-01-01

    The list of useful terrestrial analogs for Martian landforms has been expanded to include: features developed by desiccation processes; catastrophic flood features associated with boulder-sized materials; and sorted ground developed at a density boundary. Quantitative analytical techniques developed for physical geography have been adapted and applied to planetary studies, including: quantification of the patterns of polygonally fractured ground to describe pattern randomness independent of pattern size, with possible correlation to the mechanism of origin and quantification of the relative area of a geomorphic feature or region in comparison to planetary scale. Information about Martian geomorphology studied in this project was presented at professional meetings world-wide, at seven colleges and universities, in two interactive televised courses, and as part of two books. Overall, this project has expanded the understanding of the range of terrestrial analogs for Martian landforms, including identifying several new analogs. The processes that created these terrestrial features are characterized by both cold temperatures and low humidity, and therefore both freeze-thaw and desiccation processes are important. All these results support the conclusion that water has played a significant role in the geomorphic history of Mars.

  17. Protocol Analysis of Aptitude Differences in Figural Analogy Problem Representation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schiano, Diane J.

    Individual differences in performance on figural analogy tests are usually attributed to quantitative differences in processing parameters rather than to qualitative differences in the formation and use of representations. Yet aptitude-related differences in categorizing standardized figural analogy problems between high and low scorers have been…

  18. Neural underpinnings of divergent production of rules in numerical analogical reasoning.

    PubMed

    Wu, Xiaofei; Jung, Rex E; Zhang, Hao

    2016-05-01

    Creativity plays an important role in numerical problem solving. Although the neural underpinnings of creativity have been studied over decades, very little is known about neural mechanisms of the creative process that relates to numerical problem solving. In the present study, we employed a numerical analogical reasoning task with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural correlates of divergent production of rules in numerical analogical reasoning. Participants performed two tasks: a multiple solution analogical reasoning task and a single solution analogical reasoning task. Results revealed that divergent production of rules involves significant activations at Brodmann area (BA) 10 in the right middle frontal cortex, BA 40 in the left inferior parietal lobule, and BA 8 in the superior frontal cortex. The results suggest that right BA 10 and left BA 40 are involved in the generation of novel rules, and BA 8 is associated with the inhibition of initial rules in numerical analogical reasoning. The findings shed light on the neural mechanisms of creativity in numerical processing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Satellite analog FDMA/FM to digital TDMA conversion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Driggers, T.; Nguyen, T.; Kolavennu, V.

    1987-01-01

    The results of a study which investigated design issues regarding the use of analog to digital (A/D) conversion on board a satellite are presented. The need for A/D, and of course D/A as well, conversion arose from a satellite design which required analog FDMA/FM up and down links to/from a digitally modulated intersatellite link. There are also some advantages when one must interconnect a large number of various spot beams which are using analog, and therefore cannot take advantage of SS/TDMA switching among the beams, thus resulting in low fill factors. Various tradeoffs were performed regarding the implementation of on-board A/D processing, including mass, power, and costs. The various technologies which were considered included flash ADCs, surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, and digital signal processing (DSP) chips. Impact analyses were also performed to determine the effect on ground stations to convert to digital if the A/D approach were not implemented.

  20. Analog to digital workflow improvement: a quantitative study.

    PubMed

    Wideman, Catherine; Gallet, Jacqueline

    2006-01-01

    This study tracked a radiology department's conversion from utilization of a Kodak Amber analog system to a Kodak DirectView DR 5100 digital system. Through the use of ProModel Optimization Suite, a workflow simulation software package, significant quantitative information was derived from workflow process data measured before and after the change to a digital system. Once the digital room was fully operational and the radiology staff comfortable with the new system, average patient examination time was reduced from 9.24 to 5.28 min, indicating that a higher patient throughput could be achieved. Compared to the analog system, chest examination time for modality specific activities was reduced by 43%. The percentage of repeat examinations experienced with the digital system also decreased to 8% vs. the level of 9.5% experienced with the analog system. The study indicated that it is possible to quantitatively study clinical workflow and productivity by using commercially available software.

  1. Stretched Analogies and School Reform.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hesse, Joseph J., III

    1997-01-01

    Develops a "theory of stretched analogies" to explain limitations of student-as-customer and athletic motivational notions. Schools are neither shopping malls nor knowledge factories; for unengaged students, there will be nothing to purchase. Also, caring teacher-coaches must decide how high to set the bar. The goal is helping all…

  2. New size-expanded RNA nucleobase analogs: a detailed theoretical study.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Laibin; Zhang, Zhenwei; Ren, Tingqi; Tian, Jianxiang; Wang, Mei

    2015-04-05

    Fluorescent nucleobase analogs have attracted much attention in recent years due to their potential applications in nucleic acids research. In this work, four new size-expanded RNA base analogs were computationally designed and their structural, electronic, and optical properties are investigated by means of DFT calculations. The results indicate that these analogs can form stable Watson-Crick base pairs with natural counterparts and they have smaller ionization potentials and HOMO-LUMO gaps than natural ones. Particularly, the electronic absorption spectra and fluorescent emission spectra are calculated. The calculated excitation maxima are greatly red-shifted compared with their parental and natural bases, allowing them to be selectively excited. In gas phase, the fluorescence from them would be expected to occur around 526, 489, 510, and 462 nm, respectively. The influences of water solution and base pairing on the relevant absorption spectra of these base analogs are also examined. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Associative Pattern Recognition In Analog VLSI Circuits

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tawel, Raoul

    1995-01-01

    Winner-take-all circuit selects best-match stored pattern. Prototype cascadable very-large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuit chips built and tested to demonstrate concept of electronic associative pattern recognition. Based on low-power, sub-threshold analog complementary oxide/semiconductor (CMOS) VLSI circuitry, each chip can store 128 sets (vectors) of 16 analog values (vector components), vectors representing known patterns as diverse as spectra, histograms, graphs, or brightnesses of pixels in images. Chips exploit parallel nature of vector quantization architecture to implement highly parallel processing in relatively simple computational cells. Through collective action, cells classify input pattern in fraction of microsecond while consuming power of few microwatts.

  4. Use of the "Tree" Analogy in Evolution Teaching by Biology Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marcelos, Maria Fátima; Nagem, Ronaldo Luiz

    2012-04-01

    This work discusses the use of Darwin's `Tree of Life' as a didactic analogy and metaphor in teaching evolution. It investigates whether biology teachers of pupils from 17 to 18 years old know Darwin's text `Tree of Life'. In addition, it examines whether those teachers systematically employ either the analogies present in that text or other analogies between the tree and evolution, and whether they adopt a specific methodology for teaching with analogies and metaphors (A&M). The academic training of teachers regarding use of A&M is review briefly. A diagnostic study was carried out with biology teachers in a public school in the town of Contagem in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. The data were obtained through direct observation, questionnaires and a focus group. The teachers pointed out in the questionnaires that some details of Darwin's analogy are utilized as a resource. However, analysis of the data indicates that the `Tree of Life' text is not known or utilized in class. At the same time, the teachers state that they use aspects of the tree as a didactic resource to teach evolution and that its use facilitates the learning of content. The teachers have little knowledge of specific methodologies of teaching with analogies and metaphors, revealing that their training is incomplete in this area.

  5. A Systematic Evaluation of Analogs for the Read-across Prediction of Estrogenicity (SOT)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Read-across is a data gap filling technique widely used within category and analog approaches to predict a biological property for a target data-poor chemical using known information from similar (source analog) chemical(s). Potential source analogs are typically identified base...

  6. Cocaine Analog Coupled to Disrupted Adenovirus: A Vaccine Strategy to Evoke High-titer Immunity Against Addictive Drugs

    PubMed Central

    Hicks, Martin J; De, Bishnu P; Rosenberg, Jonathan B; Davidson, Jesse T; Moreno, Amira Y; Janda, Kim D; Wee, Sunmee; Koob, George F; Hackett, Neil R; Kaminsky, Stephen M; Worgall, Stefan; Toth, Miklos; Mezey, Jason G; Crystal, Ronald G

    2011-01-01

    Based on the concept that anticocaine antibodies could prevent inhaled cocaine from reaching its target receptors in the brain, an effective anticocaine vaccine could help reverse cocaine addiction. Leveraging the knowledge that E1−E3− adenovirus (Ad) gene transfer vectors are potent immunogens, we have developed a novel vaccine platform for addictive drugs by covalently linking a cocaine analog to the capsid proteins of noninfectious, disrupted Ad vector. The Ad-based anticocaine vaccine evokes high-titer anticocaine antibodies in mice sufficient to completely reverse, on a persistent basis, the hyperlocomotor activity induced by intravenous administration of cocaine. PMID:21206484

  7. A family of chaotic pure analog coding schemes based on baker's map function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Yang; Li, Jing; Lu, Xuanxuan; Yuen, Chau; Wu, Jun

    2015-12-01

    This paper considers a family of pure analog coding schemes constructed from dynamic systems which are governed by chaotic functions—baker's map function and its variants. Various decoding methods, including maximum likelihood (ML), minimum mean square error (MMSE), and mixed ML-MMSE decoding algorithms, have been developed for these novel encoding schemes. The proposed mirrored baker's and single-input baker's analog codes perform a balanced protection against the fold error (large distortion) and weak distortion and outperform the classical chaotic analog coding and analog joint source-channel coding schemes in literature. Compared to the conventional digital communication system, where quantization and digital error correction codes are used, the proposed analog coding system has graceful performance evolution, low decoding latency, and no quantization noise. Numerical results show that under the same bandwidth expansion, the proposed analog system outperforms the digital ones over a wide signal-to-noise (SNR) range.

  8. Extensional flow of blood analog solutions in microfluidic devices

    PubMed Central

    Sousa, P. C.; Pinho, F. T.; Oliveira, M. S. N.; Alves, M. A.

    2011-01-01

    In this study, we show the importance of extensional rheology, in addition to the shear rheology, in the choice of blood analog solutions intended to be used in vitro for mimicking the microcirculatory system. For this purpose, we compare the flow of a Newtonian fluid and two well-established viscoelastic blood analog polymer solutions through microfluidic channels containing both hyperbolic and abrupt contractions∕expansions. The hyperbolic shape was selected in order to impose a nearly constant strain rate at the centerline of the microchannels and achieve a quasihomogeneous and strong extensional flow often found in features of the human microcirculatory system such as stenoses. The two blood analog fluids used are aqueous solutions of a polyacrylamide (125 ppm w∕w) and of a xanthan gum (500 ppm w∕w), which were characterized rheologically in steady-shear flow using a rotational rheometer and in extension using a capillary breakup extensional rheometer (CaBER). Both blood analogs exhibit a shear-thinning behavior similar to that of whole human blood, but their relaxation times, obtained from CaBER experiments, are substantially different (by one order of magnitude). Visualizations of the flow patterns using streak photography, measurements of the velocity field using microparticle image velocimetry, and pressure-drop measurements were carried out experimentally for a wide range of flow rates. The experimental results were also compared with the numerical simulations of the flow of a Newtonian fluid and a generalized Newtonian fluid with shear-thinning behavior. Our results show that the flow patterns of the two blood analog solutions are considerably different, despite their similar shear rheology. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the elastic properties of the fluid have a major impact on the flow characteristics, with the polyacrylamide solution exhibiting a much stronger elastic character. As such, these properties must be taken into account in the

  9. Stored program concept for analog computers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hannauer, G., III; Patmore, J. R.

    1971-01-01

    Optimization of three-stage matrices, modularization, and black boxes design techniques provides for automatically interconnecting computing component inputs and outputs in general purpose analog computer. Design also produces relatively inexpensive and less complex automatic patching system.

  10. Developing a 300C Analog Tool for EGS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Normann, Randy

    2015-03-23

    This paper covers the development of a 300°C geothermal well monitoring tool for supporting future EGS (enhanced geothermal systems) power production. This is the first of 3 tools planed. This is an analog tool designed for monitoring well pressure and temperature. There is discussion on 3 different circuit topologies and the development of the supporting surface electronics and software. There is information on testing electronic circuits and component. One of the major components is the cable used to connect the analog tool to the surface.

  11. A Systematic Evaulation of Analogs and Automated Read-across Prediction of Estrogenicity (BOSC)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Read-across is a data gap filling technique widely used within category and analog approaches whereby property information for a data-poor (target) chemical is predicted using one or more “similar” chemicals (source analogs). Source analogs are typically identified on the basis o...

  12. System for transmitting low frequency analog signals over AC power lines

    DOEpatents

    Baker, Steven P.; Durall, Robert L.; Haynes, Howard D.

    1989-01-01

    A system for transmitting low frequency analog signals over AC power lines using FM modulation. A low frequency analog signal to be transmitted is first applied to a voltage-to-frequency converter where it is converted to a signal whose frequency varies in proportion to the analog signal amplitude. This signal is then used to modulate the carrier frequency of an FM transmitter coupled to an AC power line. The modulation signal frequency range in selected to be within the response band of the FM transmitter. The FM modulated carrier signal is received by an FM receiver coupled to the AC power line, demodulated and the demodulated signal frequency is converted by a frequency-to-voltage converter back to the form of the original low frequency analog input signal.

  13. System for transmitting low frequency analog signals over AC power lines

    DOEpatents

    Baker, Steven P.; Durall, Robert L.; Haynes, Howard D.

    1989-09-05

    A system for transmitting low frequency analog signals over AC power lines using FM modulation. A low frequency analog signal to be transmitted is first applied to a voltage-to-frequency converter where it is converted to a signal whose frequency varies in proportion to the analog signal amplitude. This signal is then used to modulate the carrier frequency of an FM transmitter coupled to an AC power line. The modulation signal frequency range in selected to be within the response band of the FM transmitter. The FM modulated carrier signal is received by an FM receiver coupled to the AC power line, demodulated and the demodulated signal frequency is converted by a frequency-to-voltage converter back to the form of the original low frequency analog input signal.

  14. PA03.05. Masha taila as a preventive measure in gulpha marma injuries.

    PubMed Central

    Dhaded, Rajani; Kulkarni, BG

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: In Basketball game Gulpha Marma injuries are common. Wrong landing causes inflammation & tearing of ligament resulting into sprain. Prevention can be carried out by protective wears like Ankelet,crape bandge which gives temporary recovery. Assessment and evaluation of the application of Masha Taila as a Snehana and Avagaha Sweda as a preventive measure for Gulpha Marma injuries. Method: 30 players with Normal ankle joint (Group A) & 30 players with Ankle sprain (1st degree) of Basketball players (Group B) were taken with age group 13 to 25 yrs. Goniometer to measure Range of motion (R.O.M.), pain analog scale for pain gradation. Result: Group A and B were compared with their control groups. The statistical result for normal dorsiflexion was 0.0007 degree, plantar flexion 0.001 degree, dorsi flexion of ankle sprain players 0.002 degree, plantar flexion 0.03 degree. The measurement of ROM of all players increased by 510 times indicating increased joint flexibility, based on ROM Mash taila proved to be a preventive measure. Pain analog scale for group B players indicated moderate pain at 0 day,reduced by 50% on 15th day and completely reduced on 30th day. Conclusion: “Prevention is better than cure”. As a preventive aspect the application of Masha Taila in normal ankle joint as Snehan & Swedan with warm water increases flexibility of joint and muscle strength. In sprained joint the same Taila application relives pain and regains its movements, this recovery and strength of joints happens because of reduce adhesion & influence the direction of new collage fibres in the healing process. It eliminates toxic accumulation from secondary muscle spasm. These Marma being the vital points must be prevented by applying Snehan & Swedan before starting the game just as warm up.

  15. Toward Wireless Health Monitoring via an Analog Signal Compression-Based Biosensing Platform.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xueyuan; Sadhu, Vidyasagar; Le, Tuan; Pompili, Dario; Javanmard, Mehdi

    2018-06-01

    Wireless all-analog biosensor design for the concurrent microfluidic and physiological signal monitoring is presented in this paper. The key component is an all-analog circuit capable of compressing two analog sources into one analog signal by the analog joint source-channel coding (AJSCC). Two circuit designs are discussed, including the stacked-voltage-controlled voltage source (VCVS) design with the fixed number of levels, and an improved design, which supports a flexible number of AJSCC levels. Experimental results are presented on the wireless biosensor prototype, composed of printed circuit board realizations of the stacked-VCVS design. Furthermore, circuit simulation and wireless link simulation results are presented on the improved design. Results indicate that the proposed wireless biosensor is well suited for sensing two biological signals simultaneously with high accuracy, and can be applied to a wide variety of low-power and low-cost wireless continuous health monitoring applications.

  16. Analogy between gambling and measurement-based work extraction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vinkler, Dror A.; Permuter, Haim H.; Merhav, Neri

    2016-04-01

    In information theory, one area of interest is gambling, where mutual information characterizes the maximal gain in wealth growth rate due to knowledge of side information; the betting strategy that achieves this maximum is named the Kelly strategy. In the field of physics, it was recently shown that mutual information can characterize the maximal amount of work that can be extracted from a single heat bath using measurement-based control protocols, i.e. using ‘information engines’. However, to the best of our knowledge, no relation between gambling and information engines has been presented before. In this paper, we briefly review the two concepts and then demonstrate an analogy between gambling, where bits are converted into wealth, and information engines, where bits representing measurements are converted into energy. From this analogy follows an extension of gambling to the continuous-valued case, which is shown to be useful for investments in currency exchange rates or in the stock market using options. Moreover, the analogy enables us to use well-known methods and results from one field to solve problems in the other. We present three such cases: maximum work extraction when the probability distributions governing the system and measurements are unknown, work extraction when some energy is lost in each cycle, e.g. due to friction, and an analysis of systems with memory. In all three cases, the analogy enables us to use known results in order to obtain new ones.

  17. High quality digital holographic reconstruction on analog film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nelsen, B.; Hartmann, P.

    2017-05-01

    High quality real-time digital holographic reconstruction, i.e. at 30 Hz frame rates, has been at the forefront of research and has been hailed as the holy grail of display systems. While these efforts have produced a fascinating array of computer algorithms and technology, many applications of reconstructing high quality digital holograms do not require such high frame rates. In fact, applications such as 3D holographic lithography even require a stationary mask. Typical devices used for digital hologram reconstruction are based on spatial-light-modulator technology and this technology is great for reconstructing arbitrary holograms on the fly; however, it lacks the high spatial resolution achievable by its analog counterpart, holographic film. Analog holographic film is therefore the method of choice for reconstructing highquality static holograms. The challenge lies in taking a static, high-quality digitally calculated hologram and effectively writing it to holographic film. We have developed a theoretical system based on a tunable phase plate, an intensity adjustable high-coherence laser and a slip-stick based piezo rotation stage to effectively produce a digitally calculated hologram on analog film. The configuration reproduces the individual components, both the amplitude and phase, of the hologram in the Fourier domain. These Fourier components are then individually written on the holographic film after interfering with a reference beam. The system is analogous to writing angularly multiplexed plane waves with individual component phase control.

  18. VIIP Bedrest Analog Roadmap

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Villarreal, Jennifer D.

    2014-01-01

    The objective is to define successive bed rest campaigns leading to a potential VIIP (Vision Impairment and Intracranial Pressure) countermeasure. To determine if the analog is successful, changes need to occur in the following outcome measures (dependent variables): Intracranial pressure; Retinal nerve fiber layer; Choroidal engorgement; Globe flattening; Axial biometry; Optic nerve sheath diameter distention; Cycloplegic refraction; Visual acuity. Study parameters (independent variables) to include: CO2; Sodium; Exercise (resistive & aerobic); Strict tilt angle.

  19. [Clinical application of "categorization by analogy" in acupuncture for pain syndromes].

    PubMed

    Chen, Xiaojun

    2018-03-12

    The"categorization by analogy"is one of the most primitive thinking methods for ancient people to explore the world, which has exerted far-reaching impact on the origin and development of TCM. With examples of Sanjian (LI 3) for neck pain, Chize (LU 5) for low back pain and Chengshan (BL 57) for dysmenorrhea, the clinical application of"categorization by analogy"in acupuncture for pain syndromes was discussed, hoping more acupuncturists will pay attention to the guiding role of"categorization by analogy"in acupuncture clinical treatment.

  20. Incorporation of Exogenous Purines and Pyrimidines by Methanococcus voltae and Isolation of Analog-Resistant Mutants

    PubMed Central

    Bowen, Timothy L.; Whitman, William B.

    1987-01-01

    Methanococcus voltae incorporated exogenous adenine, guanine, hypoxanthine, and uracil, but not thymine. Growth of M. voltae was also sensitive to purine and pyrimidine analogs. Of the 20 analogs tested, 12 were inhibitory at 1 mg/ml. The most effective inhibitors were purine analogs with endocyclic substitutions. Nucleoside analogs and analogs with exocyclic substitutions or additions were less effective. Four purine analogs, 8-aza-2,6-diaminopurine, 8-azaguanine, 8-azahypoxanthine, and 6-mercaptopurine and one pyrimidine analog, 6-azauracil, were especially toxic. The MICs were 20, 0.5, 2.0, 80, and 10 μg/ml, respectively. Spontaneous resistance mutants were isolated for these five analogs. The MICs for these mutants were 20.5, 8.2, >65, >41, and 20.5 mg/ml, respectively. These concentrations far exceeded the solubilities of the analogs and represented an increase in resistance of at least three orders of magnitude. In addition to demonstrating cross resistance to several of the analogs, four of these mutants lost the ability to incorporate exogenous bases. These appeared to be mutations in the salvage pathways for purines and pyrimidines. In contrast, the mutant resistant to 6-mercaptopurine was not defective in purine uptake. Instead, it degraded 6-mercaptopurine. In the presence or absence of high concentrations of the analogs, the growth rates of the resistant mutants were no less than one-half of the growth rate of the wild type in the absence of the analog. The high level of resistance and rapid growth are very desirable properties for the application of the mutants in genetic experiments. PMID:16347408

  1. Understanding & Teaching Genetics Using Analogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woody, Scott; Himelblau, Ed

    2013-01-01

    We present a collection of analogies that are intended to help students better understand the foreign and often nuanced vocabulary of the genetics curriculum. Why is it called the "wild type"? What is the difference between a locus, a gene, and an allele? What is the functional (versus a rule-based) distinction between dominant and…

  2. Using Analogy and Model to Enhance Conceptual Change in Thai Middle School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wichaidit, Sittichai; Wongyounoi, Somson; Dechsri, Precharn; Chaivisuthangkura, Parin

    2011-01-01

    This study examined conceptual change of Thai middle school students after learning photosynthesis with analogy and model. The analogy mapped key features from the analog (cooking food) to the target concept (photosynthesis). Modeling photosynthesis activity provided the opportunity for students to understand how plants use sugar to synthesize…

  3. Biomedical sensor design using analog compressed sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balouchestani, Mohammadreza; Krishnan, Sridhar

    2015-05-01

    The main drawback of current healthcare systems is the location-specific nature of the system due to the use of fixed/wired biomedical sensors. Since biomedical sensors are usually driven by a battery, power consumption is the most important factor determining the life of a biomedical sensor. They are also restricted by size, cost, and transmission capacity. Therefore, it is important to reduce the load of sampling by merging the sampling and compression steps to reduce the storage usage, transmission times, and power consumption in order to expand the current healthcare systems to Wireless Healthcare Systems (WHSs). In this work, we present an implementation of a low-power biomedical sensor using analog Compressed Sensing (CS) framework for sparse biomedical signals that addresses both the energy and telemetry bandwidth constraints of wearable and wireless Body-Area Networks (BANs). This architecture enables continuous data acquisition and compression of biomedical signals that are suitable for a variety of diagnostic and treatment purposes. At the transmitter side, an analog-CS framework is applied at the sensing step before Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) in order to generate the compressed version of the input analog bio-signal. At the receiver side, a reconstruction algorithm based on Restricted Isometry Property (RIP) condition is applied in order to reconstruct the original bio-signals form the compressed bio-signals with high probability and enough accuracy. We examine the proposed algorithm with healthy and neuropathy surface Electromyography (sEMG) signals. The proposed algorithm achieves a good level for Average Recognition Rate (ARR) at 93% and reconstruction accuracy at 98.9%. In addition, The proposed architecture reduces total computation time from 32 to 11.5 seconds at sampling-rate=29 % of Nyquist rate, Percentage Residual Difference (PRD)=26 %, Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE)=3 %.

  4. Analogies to Demonstrate the Effect of Roughness on Surface Wettability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yolcu, Hasan

    2017-01-01

    This article presents an analogy to illustrate the effect of surface roughness on surface wettability. I used a water-filled balloon to represent water droplet, a toothpick to represent surface roughness and Styrofoam as the surface. The analogies presented in this article will help visualize how roughness affects the wettability of the surface…

  5. Reliability of analog quantum simulation

    DOE PAGES

    Sarovar, Mohan; Zhang, Jun; Zeng, Lishan

    2017-01-03

    Analog quantum simulators (AQS) will likely be the first nontrivial application of quantum technology for predictive simulation. However, there remain questions regarding the degree of confidence that can be placed in the results of AQS since they do not naturally incorporate error correction. Specifically, how do we know whether an analog simulation of a quantum model will produce predictions that agree with the ideal model in the presence of inevitable imperfections? At the same time there is a widely held expectation that certain quantum simulation questions will be robust to errors and perturbations in the underlying hardware. Resolving these twomore » points of view is a critical step in making the most of this promising technology. In this paper we formalize the notion of AQS reliability by determining sensitivity of AQS outputs to underlying parameters, and formulate conditions for robust simulation. Our approach naturally reveals the importance of model symmetries in dictating the robust properties. Finally, to demonstrate the approach, we characterize the robust features of a variety of quantum many-body models.« less

  6. Life experience of sixth-grade students in analog domains of sixth-grade science textbooks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wagamon, Barbara J.

    This study was conducted to determine if analog domains in sixth grade science textbooks were common to the life experience of sixth grade students and if experience differed according to moderating variables. The researcher reviewed three sixth grade general science textbooks and selected analogies that were unsupported by extended text, photos, or diagrams. Analogies were limited to ones which were unsupported because the intent was to identify students who were ready by virtue of life experience to confront analogies unaided by contextual clues. The researcher designed the Life Experiences in Analog Domains (LEAD) Questionnaire to survey students in 50 analog domains. Subjects of the study were 331 sixth grade students from an urban school district. Thirty were tested with the instrument one year later. Data on age, gender, ethnicity and income were analyzed for variance. Standardized achievement test scores were correlated to the LEAD Questionnaire. Results revealed sharp contrasts of experience by analog domain. Experience in analog domains was indicated 52% of the time overall. There were significant differences in the experience of students grouped by moderating variables. Younger students reported more experience than older students. The higher income group reported more experience than the lower income group. Caucasian students reported more experience overall than African American students. Chi-square tests revealed that differences in scores by ethnicity were not controlled by income. of three skills, reading comprehension, mathematics, and science, reading comprehension was most closely correlated to questionnaire score. Results suggest that many of the sixth grade students in the study may be without experience in analog domains when they encounter analogies in a textbook. Assuming subsequent implementations of the Questionnaire confirm these results, teachers should survey life experience of students and help them develop experiences that complement

  7. Analog Module Architecture for Space-Qualified Field-Programmable Mixed-Signal Arrays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Edwards, R. Timothy; Strohbehn, Kim; Jaskulek, Steven E.; Katz, Richard

    1999-01-01

    Spacecraft require all manner of both digital and analog circuits. Onboard digital systems are constructed almost exclusively from field-programmable gate array (FPGA) circuits providing numerous advantages over discrete design including high integration density, high reliability, fast turn-around design cycle time, lower mass, volume, and power consumption, and lower parts acquisition and flight qualification costs. Analog and mixed-signal circuits perform tasks ranging from housekeeping to signal conditioning and processing. These circuits are painstakingly designed and built using discrete components due to a lack of options for field-programmability. FPAA (Field-Programmable Analog Array) and FPMA (Field-Programmable Mixed-signal Array) parts exist but not in radiation-tolerant technology and not necessarily in an architecture optimal for the design of analog circuits for spaceflight applications. This paper outlines an architecture proposed for an FPAA fabricated in an existing commercial digital CMOS process used to make radiation-tolerant antifuse-based FPGA devices. The primary concerns are the impact of the technology and the overall array architecture on the flexibility of programming, the bandwidth available for high-speed analog circuits, and the accuracy of the components for high-performance applications.

  8. Digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lamata, Lucas

    2017-03-01

    We propose a digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits, including Fermi- Bose condensates, biased and pulsed Dicke models, for all regimes of light-matter coupling. We encode these classes of problems in a set of superconducting qubits coupled with a bosonic mode implemented by a transmission line resonator. Via digital-analog techniques, an efficient quantum simulation can be performed in state-of-the-art circuit quantum electrodynamics platforms, by suitable decomposition into analog qubit-bosonic blocks and collective single-qubit pulses through digital steps. Moreover, just a single global analog block would be needed during the whole protocol in most of the cases, superimposed with fast periodic pulses to rotate and detune the qubits. Therefore, a large number of digital steps may be attained with this approach, providing a reduced digital error. Additionally, the number of gates per digital step does not grow with the number of qubits, rendering the simulation efficient. This strategy paves the way for the scalable digital-analog quantum simulation of many-body dynamics involving bosonic modes and spin degrees of freedom with superconducting circuits.

  9. Digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits

    PubMed Central

    Lamata, Lucas

    2017-01-01

    We propose a digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits, including Fermi- Bose condensates, biased and pulsed Dicke models, for all regimes of light-matter coupling. We encode these classes of problems in a set of superconducting qubits coupled with a bosonic mode implemented by a transmission line resonator. Via digital-analog techniques, an efficient quantum simulation can be performed in state-of-the-art circuit quantum electrodynamics platforms, by suitable decomposition into analog qubit-bosonic blocks and collective single-qubit pulses through digital steps. Moreover, just a single global analog block would be needed during the whole protocol in most of the cases, superimposed with fast periodic pulses to rotate and detune the qubits. Therefore, a large number of digital steps may be attained with this approach, providing a reduced digital error. Additionally, the number of gates per digital step does not grow with the number of qubits, rendering the simulation efficient. This strategy paves the way for the scalable digital-analog quantum simulation of many-body dynamics involving bosonic modes and spin degrees of freedom with superconducting circuits. PMID:28256559

  10. Property-Based Monitoring of Analog and Mixed-Signal Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Havlicek, John; Little, Scott; Maler, Oded; Nickovic, Dejan

    In the recent past, there has been a steady growth of the market for consumer embedded devices such as cell phones, GPS and portable multimedia systems. In embedded systems, digital, analog and software components are combined on a single chip, resulting in increasingly complex designs that introduce richer functionality on smaller devices. As a consequence, the potential insertion of errors into a design becomes higher, yielding an increasing need for automated analog and mixed-signal validation tools. In the purely digital setting, formal verification based on properties expressed in industrial specification languages such as PSL and SVA is nowadays successfully integrated in the design flow. On the other hand, the validation of analog and mixed-signal systems still largely depends on simulation-based, ad-hoc methods. In this tutorial, we consider some ingredients of the standard verification methodology that can be successfully exported from digital to analog and mixed-signal setting, in particular property-based monitoring techniques. Property-based monitoring is a lighter approach to the formal verification, where the system is seen as a "black-box" that generates sets of traces, whose correctness is checked against a property, that is its high-level specification. Although incomplete, monitoring is effectively used to catch faults in systems, without guaranteeing their full correctness.

  11. Young Children's Analogical Problem Solving: Gaining Insights from Video Displays

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Zhe; Siegler, Robert S.

    2013-01-01

    This study examined how toddlers gain insights from source video displays and use the insights to solve analogous problems. Two- to 2.5-year-olds viewed a source video illustrating a problem-solving strategy and then attempted to solve analogous problems. Older but not younger toddlers extracted the problem-solving strategy depicted in the video…

  12. Dexrazoxane use in the prevention of anthracycline extravasation injury.

    PubMed

    Hasinoff, Brian B

    2006-02-01

    Accidental extravasation injury from the use of the anthracycline anticancer drugs doxorubicin, daunorubicin, epirubicin and idarubicin can be a serious complication of their use. As yet, there is little consensus on the way that anthracycline extravasation injury should be clinically managed. Dexrazoxane, which is currently clinically used to reduce doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, has also been shown in preclinical studies to be highly efficacious in preventing anthracycline-induced extravasation injury. Several clinical case reports of dexrazoxane for this use have also indicated positive outcomes. There are currently two multicenter Phase II/III clinical trials underway. Dexrazoxane is a prodrug analog of the metal chelator EDTA that most likely acts by removing iron from the iron-doxorubicin complex, thus preventing formation of damaging reactive oxygen species.

  13. Analogical-mapping-based comparison tasks as a scaffold for argumentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Emig, Brandon R.

    Given the centrality of the argumentation process to science and consequent importance to science education, inviting science students to engage in argumentation and scaffolding that argumentation in order that it lead to learning and not frustration is important. The present research invites small groups of science content learners (54 preservice elementary teachers at a large research university) to use analogical-mapping-based comparison tasks in service of argumentation to determine which of two possible analogues, in this case simple machines, is most closely related to a third. These activities and associated instruction scaffolded student small-groups' argumentation in four ways: (1) supporting new analogical correspondences on the heels of prior correspondences; (2) discerning definitions and descriptions for simple machine elements; (3) identifying and dealing with ambiguity in potential correspondences; and (4) making reflections on prior analogical correspondences in service of their final arguments. Analogical-mapping-based comparison activities scaffolded student small groups both in their argumentation and in content learning about simple machines. Implications, limitations, and directions for future related research are also discussed.

  14. Application of natural analog studies to exploration for ore deposits

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gustafson, D.L.

    1995-09-01

    Natural analogs are viewed as similarities in nature and are routinely utilized by exploration geologists in their search for economic mineral deposits. Ore deposit modeling is undertaken by geologists to direct their exploration activities toward favorable geologic environments and, therefore, successful programs. Two types of modeling are presented: (i) empirical model development based on the study of known ore deposit characteristics, and (ii) concept model development based on theoretical considerations and field observations that suggest a new deposit type, not known to exist in nature, may exist and justifies an exploration program. Key elements that are important in empirical modelmore » development are described, and examples of successful applications of these natural analogs to exploration are presented. A classical example of successful concept model development, the discovery of the McLaughlin gold mine in California, is presented. The utilization of natural analogs is an important facet of mineral exploration. Natural analogs guide explorationists in their search for new discoveries, increase the probability of success, and may decrease overall exploration expenditure.« less

  15. Acetyl analogs of combretastatin A-4: synthesis and biological studies.

    PubMed

    Babu, Balaji; Lee, Megan; Lee, Lauren; Strobel, Raymond; Brockway, Olivia; Nickols, Alexis; Sjoholm, Robert; Tzou, Samuel; Chavda, Sameer; Desta, Dereje; Fraley, Gregory; Siegfried, Adam; Pennington, William; Hartley, Rachel M; Westbrook, Cara; Mooberry, Susan L; Kiakos, Konstantinos; Hartley, John A; Lee, Moses

    2011-04-01

    The combretastatins have received significant attention because of their simple chemical structures, excellent antitumor efficacy and novel antivascular mechanisms of action. Herein, we report the synthesis of 20 novel acetyl analogs of CA-4 (1), synthesized from 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenylacetone that comprises the A ring of CA-4 with different aromatic aldehydes as the B ring. Molecular modeling studies indicate that these new compounds possess a 'twisted' conformation similar to CA-4. The new analogs effectively inhibit the growth of human and murine cancer cells. The most potent compounds 6k, 6s and 6t, have IC(50) values in the sub-μM range. Analog 6t has an IC(50) of 182 nM in MDA-MB-435 cells and has advantages over earlier analogs due to its enhanced water solubility (456 μM). This compound initiates microtubule depolymerization with an EC(50) value of 1.8 μM in A-10 cells. In a murine L1210 syngeneic tumor model 6t had antitumor activity and no apparent toxicity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Hybrid Analog/Digital Receiver

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, D. H.; Hurd, W. J.

    1989-01-01

    Advanced hybrid analog/digital receiver processes intermediate-frequency (IF) signals carrying digital data in form of phase modulation. Uses IF sampling and digital phase-locked loops to track carrier and subcarrier signals and to synchronize data symbols. Consists of three modules: IF assembly, signal-processing assembly, and test-signal assembly. Intended for use in Deep Space Network, but presumably basic design modified for such terrestrial uses as communications or laboratory instrumentation where signals weak and/or noise strong.

  17. Analog storage integrated circuit

    DOEpatents

    Walker, J. T.; Larsen, R. S.; Shapiro, S. L.

    1989-01-01

    A high speed data storage array is defined utilizing a unique cell design for high speed sampling of a rapidly changing signal. Each cell of the array includes two input gates between the signal input and a storage capacitor. The gates are controlled by a high speed row clock and low speed column clock so that the instantaneous analog value of the signal is only sampled and stored by each cell on coincidence of the two clocks.

  18. Analog storage integrated circuit

    DOEpatents

    Walker, J.T.; Larsen, R.S.; Shapiro, S.L.

    1989-03-07

    A high speed data storage array is defined utilizing a unique cell design for high speed sampling of a rapidly changing signal. Each cell of the array includes two input gates between the signal input and a storage capacitor. The gates are controlled by a high speed row clock and low speed column clock so that the instantaneous analog value of the signal is only sampled and stored by each cell on coincidence of the two clocks. 6 figs.

  19. On the Suitability of Lanthanides as Actinide Analogs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Szigethy, Geza; Raymond, Kenneth N.

    2008-04-11

    With the current level of actinide materials used in civilian power generation and the need for safe and efficient methods for the chemical separation of these species from their daughter products and for long-term storage requirements, a detailed understanding of actinide chemistry is of great importance. Due to the unique bonding properties of the f-elements, the lanthanides are commonly used as structural and chemical models for the actinides, but differences in the bonding between these 4f and 5f elements has become a question of immediate applicability to separations technology. This brief overview of actinide coordination chemistry in the Raymond groupmore » at UC Berkeley/LBNL examines the validity of using lanthanide analogs as structural models for the actinides, with particular attention paid to single crystal X-ray diffraction structures. Although lanthanides are commonly accepted as reasonable analogs for the actinides, these comparisons suggest the careful study of actinide materials independent of their lanthanide analogs to be of utmost importance to present and future efforts in nuclear industries.« less

  20. On the suitability of lanthanides as actinide analogs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Raymond, Kenneth; Szigethy, Geza

    2008-07-01

    With the current level of actinide materials used in civilian power generation and the need for safe and efficient methods for the chemical separation of these species from their daughter products and for long-term storage requirements, a detailed understanding of actinide chemistry is of great importance. Due to the unique bonding properties of the f-elements, the lanthanides are commonly used as structural and chemical models for the actinides, but differences in the bonding between these 4f and 5f elements has become a question of immediate applicability to separations technology. This brief overview of actinide coordination chemistry in the Raymond groupmore » at UC Berkeley/LBNL examines the validity of using lanthanide analogs as structural models for the actinides, with particular attention paid to single crystal X-ray diffraction structures. Although lanthanides are commonly accepted as reasonable analogs for the actinides, these comparisons suggest the careful study of actinide materials independent of their lanthanide analogs to be of utmost importance to present and future efforts in nuclear industries. (authors)« less

  1. Transformational and derivational strategies in analogical problem solving.

    PubMed

    Schelhorn, Sven-Eric; Griego, Jacqueline; Schmid, Ute

    2007-03-01

    Analogical problem solving is mostly described as transfer of a source solution to a target problem based on the structural correspondences (mapping) between source and target. Derivational analogy (Carbonell, Machine learning: an artificial intelligence approach Los Altos. Morgan Kaufmann, 1986) proposes an alternative view: a target problem is solved by replaying a remembered problem-solving episode. Thus, the experience with the source problem is used to guide the search for the target solution by applying the same solution technique rather than by transferring the complete solution. We report an empirical study using the path finding problems presented in Novick and Hmelo (J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn 20:1296-1321, 1994) as material. We show that both transformational and derivational analogy are problem-solving strategies realized by human problem solvers. Which strategy is evoked in a given problem-solving context depends on the constraints guiding object-to-object mapping between source and target problem. Specifically, if constraints facilitating mapping are available, subjects are more likely to employ a transformational strategy, otherwise they are more likely to use a derivational strategy.

  2. Seeking instructional specificity: An example from analogical instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuo, Eric; Wieman, Carl E.

    2015-12-01

    Broad instructional methods like "interactive engagement" have been shown to be effective, but such general characterization provides little guidance on the details of how to structure instructional materials. In this study, we seek instructional specificity by comparing two ways of using an analogy to learn a target physical principle: (i) applying the analogy to the target physical domain on a case-by-case basis and (ii) using the analogy to create a general rule in the target physical domain. In the discussion sections of a large, introductory physics course (N =2 3 1 ), students who sought a general rule were better able to discover and apply a correct physics principle than students who analyzed the examples case by case. The difference persisted at a reduced level after subsequent direct instruction. We argue that students who performed case-by-case analyses were more likely to focus on idiosyncratic problem-specific features rather than the deep structural features. This study provides an example of investigations into how the specific structure of instructional materials can be consequential for what is learned.

  3. Ultra-low-energy analog straintronics using multiferroic composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roy, Kuntal

    2014-03-01

    Multiferroic devices, i.e., a magnetostrictive nanomagnet strain-coupled with a piezoelectric layer, are promising as binary switches for ultra-low-energy digital computing in beyond Moore's law era [Roy, K. Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 173110 (2013), Roy, K. et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 99, 063108 (2011), Phys. Rev. B 83, 224412 (2011), Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group) 3, 3038 (2013), J. Appl. Phys. 112, 023914 (2012)]. We show here that such multiferroic devices, apart from performing digital computation, can be also utilized for analog computing purposes, e.g., voltage amplification, filter etc. The analog computing capability is conceived by considering that magnetization's mean orientation shifts gradually although nanomagnet's potential minima changes abruptly. Using tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) measurement, a continuous output voltage while varying the input voltage can be produced. Stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation in the presence of room-temperature (300 K) thermal fluctuations is solved to demonstrate the analog computing capability of such multiferroic devices. This work was supported in part by FAME, one of six centers of STARnet, a Semiconductor Research Corporation program sponsored by MARCO and DARPA.

  4. European corn borer sex pheromone : Inhibition and elicitation of behavioral response by analogs.

    PubMed

    Schwarz, M; Klun, J A; Uebel, E C

    1990-05-01

    The male sexual behavior-stimulating and inhibiting properties of a series of analogs of the European corn borer sex pheromone were determined in a flight tunnel. The structural requirements for inhibition of pheromonal response were far less restrictive than those for elicitation of that response. Analogs that by themselves elicited upwind flight response from males at a low dose were generally less inhibitory to male response than many of the analogs that had no pheromonal activity. These findings suggest that many pheromone analogs bind to pheromone receptors without provoking behavioral response and possibly undergo slower degradation on the antenna than pheromonally active compounds. The disparity of response to analogs by two pheromonal types of the European corn borer indicates that the pheromone receptor and pheromone catabolic systems are biochemically very different in the two types.

  5. Use of Analogy in Learning Physics: The Role of Representations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Podolefsky, Noah S.; Finkelstein, Naoh D.

    2006-01-01

    Previous studies have demonstrated that analogies can promote student learning in physics and can be productively taught to students to support their learning, under certain conditions. We build on these studies to explore the use of analogy by students in a large introductory college physics course. In the first large-scale study of its kind, we…

  6. Analogies in the Teaching of Chemical Equilibrium: A Synthesis/Analysis of the Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raviolo, Andres; Garritz, Andoni

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents a thorough literature review of the analogies used to teach chemical equilibrium. The main objective is to compile all the analogies that have been found to be of service to the teacher and the student. Additionally, we categorize and analyze analogies in relation to the following aspects: representation of the dynamic nature…

  7. Analog Experiment for rootless cone eruption

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noguchi, R.; Hamada, A.; Suzuki, A.; Kurita, K.

    2017-09-01

    Rootless cone is a unique geomorphological landmark to specify igneous origin of investigated terrane, which is formed by magma-water interaction. To understand its formation mechanism we conducted analog experiment for heat-induced vesiculation by using hot syrup and sodium bicarbonate solution.

  8. Semi-synthetic salinomycin analogs exert cytotoxic activity against human colorectal cancer stem cells.

    PubMed

    Klose, Johannes; Kattner, Sarah; Borgström, Björn; Volz, Claudia; Schmidt, Thomas; Schneider, Martin; Oredsson, Stina; Strand, Daniel; Ulrich, Alexis

    2018-01-01

    Salinomycin, a polyether antibiotic, is a well-known inhibitor of human cancer stem cells. Chemical modification of the allylic C20 hydroxyl of salinomycin has enabled access to synthetic analogs that display increased cytotoxic activity compared to the native structure. The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of a cohort of C20-O-acyl analogs of salinomycin on human colorectal cancer cell lines in vitro. Two human colorectal cancer cell lines (SW480 and SW620) were exposed to three C20-O-acylated analogs and salinomycin. The impact of salinomycin and its analogs on tumor cell number, migration, cell death, and cancer stem cell specifity was analyzed. Exposure of human colorectal cancer cells to the C20-O-acylated analogs of salinomycin resulted in reduced tumor cell number and impaired tumor cell migration at lower concentrations than salinomycin. When used at higher (micromolar) concentrations, these effects were accompanied by induction of apoptotic cell death. Salinomycin analogs further expose improved activity against cancer stem cells compared to salinomycin. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Mini-Review: Antifouling Natural Products from Marine Microorganisms and Their Synthetic Analogs

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Ze-Hong; Wang, Yu; Wang, Chang-Yun; Xu, Ying

    2017-01-01

    Biofouling causes huge economic loss and generates serious ecological issues worldwide. Marine coatings incorporated with antifouling (AF) compounds are the most common practices to prevent biofouling. With a ban of organotins and an increase in the restrictions regarding the use of other AF alternatives, exploring effective and environmentally friendly AF compounds has become an urgent demand for marine coating industries. Marine microorganisms, which have the largest biodiversity, represent a rich and important source of bioactive compounds and have many medical and industrial applications. This review summarizes 89 natural products from marine microorganisms and 13 of their synthetic analogs with AF EC50 values ≤ 25 μg/mL from 1995 (the first report about marine microorganism-derived AF compounds) to April 2017. Some compounds with the EC50 values < 5 μg/mL and LC50/EC50 ratios > 50 are highlighted as potential AF compounds, and the preliminary analysis of structure-relationship (SAR) of these compounds is also discussed briefly. In the last part, current challenges and future research perspectives are proposed based on opinions from many previous reviews. To provide clear guidance for the readers, the AF compounds from microorganisms and their synthetic analogs in this review are categorized into ten types, including fatty acids, lactones, terpenes, steroids, benzenoids, phenyl ethers, polyketides, alkaloids, nucleosides and peptides. In addition to the major AF compounds which targets macro-foulers, this review also includes compounds with antibiofilm activity since micro-foulers also contribute significantly to the biofouling communities. PMID:28846626

  10. Mini-Review: Antifouling Natural Products from Marine Microorganisms and Their Synthetic Analogs.

    PubMed

    Wang, Kai-Ling; Wu, Ze-Hong; Wang, Yu; Wang, Chang-Yun; Xu, Ying

    2017-08-28

    Biofouling causes huge economic loss and generates serious ecological issues worldwide. Marine coatings incorporated with antifouling (AF) compounds are the most common practices to prevent biofouling. With a ban of organotins and an increase in the restrictions regarding the use of other AF alternatives, exploring effective and environmentally friendly AF compounds has become an urgent demand for marine coating industries. Marine microorganisms, which have the largest biodiversity, represent a rich and important source of bioactive compounds and have many medical and industrial applications. This review summarizes 89 natural products from marine microorganisms and 13 of their synthetic analogs with AF EC 50 values ≤ 25 μg/mL from 1995 (the first report about marine microorganism-derived AF compounds) to April 2017. Some compounds with the EC 50 values < 5 μg/mL and LC 50 /EC 50 ratios > 50 are highlighted as potential AF compounds, and the preliminary analysis of structure-relationship (SAR) of these compounds is also discussed briefly. In the last part, current challenges and future research perspectives are proposed based on opinions from many previous reviews. To provide clear guidance for the readers, the AF compounds from microorganisms and their synthetic analogs in this review are categorized into ten types, including fatty acids, lactones, terpenes, steroids, benzenoids, phenyl ethers, polyketides, alkaloids, nucleosides and peptides. In addition to the major AF compounds which targets macro-foulers, this review also includes compounds with antibiofilm activity since micro-foulers also contribute significantly to the biofouling communities.

  11. Activity of lycorine analogs against the fish bacterial pathogen Flavobacterium columnare

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In a continuing effort to discover natural products and natural product-based compounds for the control of columnaris disease in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), seventeen lycorine analogs were synthesized, including new benzoyl analogs 6 – 16, and evaluated for antibacterial activity against ...

  12. Analogy in causal inference: rethinking Austin Bradford Hill's neglected consideration.

    PubMed

    Weed, Douglas L

    2018-05-01

    The purpose of this article was to rethink and resurrect Austin Bradford Hill's "criterion" of analogy as an important consideration in causal inference. In epidemiology today, analogy is either completely ignored (e.g., in many textbooks), or equated with biologic plausibility or coherence, or aligned with the scientist's imagination. None of these examples, however, captures Hill's description of analogy. His words suggest that there may be something gained by contrasting two bodies of evidence, one from an established causal relationship, the other not. Coupled with developments in the methods of systematic assessments of evidence-including but not limited to meta-analysis-analogy can be restructured as a key component in causal inference. This new approach will require that a collection-a library-of known cases of causal inference (i.e., bodies of evidence involving established causal relationships) be developed. This library would likely include causal assessments by organizations such as the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the National Toxicology Program, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, a process for describing key features of a causal relationship would need to be developed along with what will be considered paradigm cases of causation. Finally, it will be important to develop ways to objectively compare a "new" body of evidence with the relevant paradigm case of causation. Analogy, along with all other existing methods and causal considerations, may improve our ability to identify causal relationships. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Antitumor Effects of Somatostatin Analogs in Neuroendocrine Tumors

    PubMed Central

    Dubé, Pierre; Rinke, Anja

    2012-01-01

    Background. For decades, somatostatin analogs (including octreotide and lanreotide) have been indicated for relief of the symptoms of flushing, diarrhea, and wheezing associated with secretory neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Recently, it has been suggested that somatostatin analogs may provide direct and indirect antitumor effects in secretory and nonsecretory NETs in addition to symptom control in secretory NETs. Methods. A systematic review of MEDLINE was conducted to identify studies that investigated the antitumor effects of octreotide or lanreotide for patients with NETs. Additional studies not published in the peer-reviewed literature were identified by searching online abstracts. Results. In all, 17 octreotide trials and 11 lanreotide trials that included antitumor effects were identified. Partial response rates were between 0% and 31%, and stable disease rates were between 15% and 89%. Octreotide was the only somatostatin analog for which results of a phase III, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial that investigated antitumor effects were published. After 6 months of treatment in this randomized phase III trial, stable disease was observed in 67% of patients (hazard ratio for time to disease progression: 0.34; 95% confidence interval: 0.20–0.59; p = .000072). Conclusions. In addition to symptom control for NETs, the data support an antitumor effect of somatostatin analogs and suggest that they may slow tumor growth. Long-acting repeatable octreotide has been shown to have an antitumor effect in a randomized phase III trial in midgut NETs, whereas results are pending in a corresponding controlled trial with lanreotide for patients with intestinal and pancreatic primary NETs. PMID:22628056

  14. Terrestrial subaqueous seafloor dunes: Possible analogs for Venus

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Neakrase, Lynn D.V.; Klose, Martina; Titus, Timothy N.

    2017-01-01

    Dunes on Venus, first discovered with Magellan Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) in the early 1990s, have fueled discussions about the viability of Venusian dunes and aeolian grain transport. Confined to two locations on Venus, the existence of the interpreted dunes provides evidence that there could be transportable material being mobilized into aeolian bedforms at the surface. However, because of the high-pressure high-temperature surface conditions, laboratory analog studies are difficult to conduct and results are difficult to extrapolate to full-sized, aeolian bedforms. Field sites of desert dunes, which are well-studied on Earth and Mars, are not analogous to what is observed on Venus because of the differences in the fluid environments. One potentially underexplored possibility in planetary science for Venus-analog dune fields could be subaqueous, seafloor dune fields on Earth. Known to the marine geology communities since the early 1960s, seafloor dunes are rarely cited in planetary aeolian bedform literature, but could provide a necessary thick-atmosphere extension to the classically studied aeolian dune environment literature for thinner atmospheres. Through discussion of the similarity of the two environments, and examples of dunes and ripples cited in marine literature, we provide evidence that subaqueous seafloor dunes could serve as analogs for dunes on Venus. Furthermore, the evidence presented here demonstrates the usefulness of the marine literature for thick-atmosphere planetary environments and potentially for upcoming habitable worlds and oceanic environment research program opportunities. Such useful cross-disciplinary discussion of dune environments is applicable to many planetary environments (Earth, Mars, Venus, Titan, etc.) and potential future missions.

  15. Dual chain synthetic heparin-binding growth factor analogs

    DOEpatents

    Zamora, Paul O [Gaithersburg, MD; Pena, Louis A [Poquott, NY; Lin, Xinhua [Plainview, NY

    2012-04-24

    The invention provides synthetic heparin-binding growth factor analogs having two peptide chains each branched from a branch moiety, such as trifunctional amino acid residues, the branch moieties separated by a first linker of from 3 to about 20 backbone atoms, which peptide chains bind a heparin-binding growth factor receptor and are covalently bound to a non-signaling peptide that includes a heparin-binding domain, preferably by a second linker, which may be a hydrophobic second linker. The synthetic heparin-binding growth factor analogs are useful as pharmaceutical agents, soluble biologics or as surface coatings for medical devices.

  16. Dual chain synthetic heparin-binding growth factor analogs

    DOEpatents

    Zamora, Paul O [Gaithersburg, MD; Pena, Louis A [Poquott, NY; Lin, Xinhua [Plainview, NY

    2009-10-06

    The invention provides synthetic heparin-binding growth factor analogs having two peptide chains each branched from a branch moiety, such as trifunctional amino acid residues, the branch moieties separated by a first linker of from 3 to about 20 backbone atoms, which peptide chains bind a heparin-binding growth factor receptor and are covalently bound to a non-signaling peptide that includes a heparin-binding domain, preferably by a second linker, which may be a hydrophobic second linker. The synthetic heparin-binding growth factor analogs are useful as pharmaceutical agents, soluble biologics or as surface coatings for medical devices.

  17. Ethnographic analogy, the comparative method, and archaeological special pleading.

    PubMed

    Currie, Adrian

    2016-02-01

    Ethnographic analogy, the use of comparative data from anthropology to inform reconstructions of past human societies, has a troubled history. Archaeologists often express concern about, or outright reject, the practice--and sometimes do so in problematically general terms. This is odd, as (or so I argue) the use of comparative data in archaeology is the same pattern of reasoning as the 'comparative method' in biology, which is a well-developed and robust set of inferences which play a central role in discovering the biological past. In pointing out this continuity, I argue that there is no 'special pleading' on the part of archaeologists in this regard: biologists must overcome analogous epistemic difficulties in their use of comparative data. I then go on to emphasize the local, empirically tractable ways in which particular ethnographic analogies may be licensed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Computer Analogies: Teaching Molecular Biology and Ecology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rice, Stanley; McArthur, John

    2002-01-01

    Suggests that computer science analogies can aid the understanding of gene expression, including the storage of genetic information on chromosomes. Presents a matrix of biology and computer science concepts. (DDR)

  19. ROC Analysis of Chest Radiographs Using Computed Radiography and Conventional Analog Films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morioka, Craig A.; Brown, Kathy; Hayrapetian, Alek S.; Kangarloo, Hooshang; Balter, Stephen; Huang, H. K.

    1989-05-01

    Receiver operating characteristic is used to compare the image quality of films obtained digitally using computed radiography (CR) and conventionally using analog film following fluoroscopic examination. Similar radiological views were obtained by both modalities. Twenty-four cases, some with a solitary noncalcified nodule and/or pneumothorax, were collected. Ten radiologists have been tested viewing analog and CR digital films separately. Final results indicate that there is no statistically significant difference in the ability to detect either a pneumothorax or a solitary noncalcified nodule when comparing CR digital film with conventional analog film. However, there is a trend that indicated the area under the ROC curves for detection of either a pneumothorax or solitary noncalcified nodule were greater for the analog film than for the digital film.

  20. The baby and the bath water: improving metaphors and analogies in high school biology texts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shors, Luke

    This dissertation is concerned with understanding how metaphors and analogies function in biology education and whether some of the philosophical critiques of the language used in the field of biology -- and in particular its accompanying metaphors and analogies, have a basis in the educational materials used to teach the subject. This inquiry was carried out through examining the pedagogical features and content of metaphors and analogies from three high school biology textbooks. After identifying over two hundred and twenty-five verbal and pictorial metaphors and analogies, these figures of speech were coded based on prior research that establishes effective characteristics for their use. In tandem with this quantitative analysis, a philosophical analysis considers how well the content of these metaphors and analogies aligns with current scientific understanding and what misunderstandings may be engendered through the use of these metaphors and analogies. The major findings of the analysis include: 1) Textbook authors are much more likely to utilize metaphors and analogies as well as signal their presence to students compared with past analyses; 2) A number of metaphors and analogies either contain errors in analogical mapping or use source analogues that are too antiquated to support today's students; 3) The content of many metaphors and analogies is frequently outdated in reference to current scientific understanding; and 4) Many metaphors and analogies tend to reinforce tacit elements of past scientific paradigms - these are termed 'reinforcing metaphors' in the dissertation and include nature as machine, nature as blueprint or information, nature as business and nature as war. The present work submits several implications for students learning biology as well as the manner in which students come to understand the natural world. The work suggests ways to reduce ineffective metaphors and analogies as well as reliance on reinforcing metaphors. It offers new

  1. Ultra-high-speed optical transmission using digital-preprocessed analog-multiplexed DAC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Nagatani, Munehiko; Hamaoka, Fukutaro; Horikoshi, Kengo; Nakamura, Masanori; Matsushita, Asuka; Kanazawa, Shigeru; Hashimoto, Toshikazu; Nosaka, Hideyuki; Miyamoto, Yutaka

    2018-02-01

    In advanced fiber transmission systems with digital signal processors (DSPs), analog bandwidths of digital-to-analog converters (DACs), which interface the DSPs and optics, are the major factors limiting the data rates. We have developed a technology to extend the DACs' bandwidth using a digital preprocessor, two sub-DACs, and an analog multiplexer. This technology enables us to generate baseband signals with bandwidths of up to around 60 GHz, which is almost twice that of signals generated by typical CMOS DACs. In this paper, we describe the principle of the bandwidth extension and review high-speed transmission experiments enabled by this technology.

  2. RF digital-to-analog converter

    DOEpatents

    Conway, P.H.; Yu, D.U.L.

    1995-02-28

    A digital-to-analog converter is disclosed for producing an RF output signal proportional to a digital input word of N bits from an RF reference input, N being an integer greater or equal to 2. The converter comprises a plurality of power splitters, power combiners and a plurality of mixers or RF switches connected in a predetermined configuration. 18 figs.

  3. The Painting-Sponging Analogy for Chemical Equilibrium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gamitz, Adoni

    1997-05-01

    An analogy for chemical equilibrium is presented, in which high school or younger students can follow the advance towards equilibrium and its final dynamic nature. The relative opposition between forward and backward processes in a real chemical reaction is exemplified by the distance of a road line that is painted by one person and erased by another, both with different skills and working speeds. The graphical results of the progress of the line distance is entirely similar to the increasing of products concentration in a chemical reaction starting from the reactants. In the analogy, the final equilibrium position is independent of the starting point, as well as in a real chemical process. A simple basic program is included for interactive learning purposes.

  4. A Systematic Evaluation of Analogs and Automated Read-across Prediction of Estrogenicity (QSAR2016)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Read-across is a data gap filling technique widely used within category and analog approaches to predict a biological property for a data-poor (target) chemical using known information from similar (source analog) chemical(s). Potential source analogs are typically identified ba...

  5. Organization of fluorescent cholesterol analogs in lipid bilayers - lessons from cyclodextrin extraction.

    PubMed

    Milles, Sigrid; Meyer, Thomas; Scheidt, Holger A; Schwarzer, Roland; Thomas, Lars; Marek, Magdalena; Szente, Lajos; Bittman, Robert; Herrmann, Andreas; Günther Pomorski, Thomas; Huster, Daniel; Müller, Peter

    2013-08-01

    To characterize the structure and dynamics of cholesterol in membranes, fluorescent analogs of the native molecule have widely been employed. The cholesterol content in membranes is in general manipulated by using water-soluble cyclodextrins. Since the interactions between cyclodextrins and fluorescent-labeled cholesterol have not been investigated in detail so far, we have compared the cyclodextrin-mediated membrane extraction of three different fluorescent cholesterol analogs (one bearing a NBD and two bearing BODIPY moieties). Extraction of these analogs was followed by measuring the Förster resonance energy transfer between a rhodamine moiety linked to phosphatidylethanolamine and the labeled cholesterol. The extraction kinetics revealed that the analogs are differently extracted from membranes. We examined the orientation of the analogs within the membrane and their influence on lipid condensation using NMR and EPR spectroscopies. Our data indicate that the extraction of fluorescent sterols from membranes is determined by several parameters, including their impact on lipid order, their hydrophobicity, their intermolecular interactions with surrounding lipids, their orientation within the bilayer, and their affinity with the exogenous acceptor. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Diapause Prevention Effect of Bombyx mori by Dimethyl Sulfoxide

    PubMed Central

    Yamamoto, Takayuki; Mase, Keisuke; Sawada, Hiroshi

    2013-01-01

    HCl treatment has been, for about 80 years, the primary method for the prevention of entry into embryonic diapauses of Bombyx mori. This is because no method is as effective as the HCl treatment. In this study, we discovered that dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) prevented entry into the diapause of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. The effect of diapause prevention was 78% as a result of treatment with 100% DMSO concentration, and the effect was comparable to that of the HCl treatment. In contrast, in the case of non-diapause eggs, hatchability was decreased by DMSO in a concentration-dependent manner. The effect of DMSO was restricted within 24 hours after oviposition of diapause eggs, and the critical period was slightly shorter than the effective period of the HCl treatment. DMSO analogs, such as dimethyl formamide (DMF) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS), did little preventive effect against the diapause. Furthermore, we also investigated the permeation effects of chemical compounds by DMSO. When treated with an inhibitor of protein kinase CK2 (CK2) dissolved in DMSO, the prevention rate of the diapause was less than 40%. This means that the inhibition effect by the CK2 inhibitor was the inhibition of embryonic development after diapause prevention by DMSO. These data suggest that DMSO has the effects of preventing from entering into the diapause and permeation of chemicals into diapause eggs. PMID:23675522

  7. Macrocyclic lactones: A versatile source for omega radiohalogenated fatty acid analogs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dougan, A.H.; Lyster, D.M.; Robertson, K.A.

    For each omega halogenated fatty acid there exists a potential omega hydroxy fatty acid and the corresponding macrocyclic lactone. The authors have utilized such lactones as starting materials for omega /sup 123/I fatty acid analogs intended for myocardial imaging. Macrocyclic musk lactones are industrially available; 120 analogs are described in the literature. The preparation requires saponification, tosylation, and radio-iodide substitution. Iodo-fatty acids are readily separated from tosylate fatty acids on TLC. While providing a secure source of 16-iodo-hexadecanoic acid and 17-iodo-heptadecanoic acid, the scheme allows ready access to a large number of untried fatty acid analogs. Examples presented are 16-iodo-hexadecanoicmore » acid, 16-iodo-7-hexadecanoic acid, 16-iodo-12-oxa-hexadecanoic acid, 15-iodo-pentadecanoic acid, and 15-iodo-12-keto-pentadecanoic acid. Metabolic studies are in progress in mice and dogs to assess the utility of these analogs for myocardial imaging.« less

  8. In vitro characterization of DNA gyrase inhibition by microcin B17 analogs with altered bisheterocyclic sites

    PubMed Central

    Zamble, Deborah B.; Miller, Deborah A.; Heddle, Jonathan G.; Maxwell, Anthony; Walsh, Christopher T.; Hollfelder, Florian

    2001-01-01

    Microcin B17 (MccB17) is a 3.1-kDa Escherichia coli antibiotic that contains thiazole and oxazole heterocycles in a peptide backbone. MccB17 inhibits its cellular target, DNA gyrase, by trapping the enzyme in a complex that is covalently bound to double-strand cleaved DNA, in a manner similar to the well-known quinolone drugs. The identification of gyrase as the target of MccB17 provides an opportunity to analyze the relationship between the structure of this unusual antibiotic and its activity. In this report, steady-state parameters are used to describe the induction of the cleavable complex by MccB17 analogs containing modified bisheterocyclic sites. The relative potency of these analogs corresponds to the capacity of the compounds to prevent growth of sensitive cells. In contrast to previously reported experiments, inhibition of DNA gyrase supercoiling activity by wild-type MccB17 also was observed. These results suggest that DNA gyrase is the main intracellular target of MccB17. This study probes the structure-function relationship of a new class of gyrase inhibitors and demonstrates that these techniques could be used to analyze compounds in the search for clinically useful antibiotics that block DNA gyrase. PMID:11427730

  9. Chimeric analogs of human β-defensin 1 and θ-defensin disrupt pre-established bacterial biofilms.

    PubMed

    Mathew, Basil; Olli, Sudar; Guru, Ankeeta; Nagaraj, Ramakrishanan

    2017-08-01

    Antibiofilm activity of several human defensin analogs that have the ability to kill planktonic bacteria, against pre-established biofilms of Escherichia coli MG1655 and Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 8530 were examined. Linear and linear fatty acylated analogs did not show any activity while disulfide constrained analogs disrupted pre-established S. aureus biofilms. Chimeric analogs of human β-defensin 1 and θ-defensin, hBTD-1 and [d]hBTD-1 were highly active against S. aureus biofilms. Among the analogs tested, only the d-enantiomer [d]hBTD-1 showed activity against E. coli biofilm. Our study provides insights into the structural requirements for the eradication of pre-established biofilms in defensin analogs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Analog voicing detector responds to pitch

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abel, R. S.; Watkins, H. E.

    1967-01-01

    Modified electronic voice encoder /Vocoder/ includes an independent analog mode of operation in addition to the conventional digital mode. The Vocoder is a bandwidth compression equipment that permits voice transmission over channels, having only a fraction of the bandwidth required for conventional telephone-quality speech transmission.

  11. Targeting thyroid diseases with TSH receptor analogs.

    PubMed

    Galofré, Juan C; Chacón, Ana M; Latif, Rauf

    2013-12-01

    The thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor (TSHR) is a major regulator of thyroid function and growth, and is the key antigen in several pathological conditions including hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and thyroid tumors. Various effective treatment strategies are currently available for many of these clinical conditions such as antithyroid drugs or radioiodine therapy, but they are not devoid of side effects. In addition, treatment of complications of Graves' disease such as Graves' ophthalmopathy is often difficult and unsatisfactory using current methods. Recent advances in basic research on both in vitro and in vivo models have suggested that TSH analogs could be used for diagnosis and treatment of some of the thyroid diseases. The advent of high-throughput screening methods has resulted in a group of TSH analogs called small molecules, which have the potential to be developed as promising drugs. Small molecules are low molecular weight compounds with agonist, antagonist and, in some cases, inverse agonist activity on TSHR. This short review will focus on current advances in development of TSH analogs and their potential clinical applications. Rapid advances in this field may lead to the conduct of clinical trials of small molecules related to TSHR for the management of Graves' disease, thyroid cancer, and thyroid-related osteoporosis in the coming years. Copyright © 2012 SEEN. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  12. In silico design and screening of hypothetical MOF-74 analogs and their experimental synthesis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Witman, Matthew; Ling, Sanliang; Anderson, Samantha

    2016-01-01

    We present thein silico designof MOFs exhibiting 1-dimensional rod topologies by enumerating MOF-74-type analogs based on the PubChem Compounds database. We simulate the adsorption behavior of CO 2in the generated analogs and experimentally validate a novel MOF-74 analog, Mg 2(olsalazine).

  13. Effects of Bisphenol A and its Analogs on Reproductive Health: A Mini Review.

    PubMed

    Siracusa, Jacob Steven; Yin, Lei; Measel, Emily; Liang, Shenuxan; Yu, Xiaozhong

    2018-06-17

    Known endocrine disruptor bisphenol A (BPA) has been shown to be a reproductive toxicant in animal models. Its structural analogs: bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol AF (BPAF), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) are increasingly being used in consumer products. However, these analogs may exert similar adverse effects on the reproductive system, and their toxicological data are still limited. This mini-review examined studies on both BPA and BPA analog exposure and reproductive toxicity. It outlines the current state of knowledge on human exposure, toxicokinetics, endocrine activities, and reproductive toxicities of BPA and its analogs. BPA analogs showed similar endocrine potencies when compared to BPA, and emerging data suggest they may pose threats as reproductive hazards in animal models. While evidence based on epidemiological studies is still weak, we have utilized current studies to highlight knowledge gaps and research needs for future risk assessments. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  14. A system for tranmitting low frequency analog signals over ac power lines

    DOEpatents

    Baker, S.P.; Durall, R.L.; Haynes, H.D.

    1987-07-30

    A system for transmitting low frequency analog signals over ac power lines using FM modulation. A low frequency analog signal to be transmitted is first applied to a voltage-to-frequency converter where it is converted to a signal whose frequency varies in proportion to the analog signal amplitude. This signal is then used to modulate the carrier frequency of an FM transmitter coupled to an ac power line. The modulation signal frequency range is selected to be within the response band of the FM transmitter. The FM modulated carrier signal is received by an FM receiver coupled to the ac power line, demodulated and the demodulated signal frequency is converted by a frequency-to-voltage converter back to the form of the original low frequency analog input signal. 4 figs.

  15. Shock recovery analogs and the origin of mesosiderites. [Abstract only

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rowan, L. R.

    1994-01-01

    The origin of mesosiderites, which consist of approximately equal-weight proportions of Fe-Ni metal and silicates (gabbros, basalts, orthopyroxenites, dunites), remains an interesting and complex problem in meteoritics. There is general agreement that multiple impact events were probably involved in the formation of these brecciated stony-iron meteorites, but given the heterogeneity of mesosiderites, additional processes have been invoked to explain the unique and intricate textural and compositional makeup of mesosiderites. We conducted a series of shock recovery experiments to test the impact event(s) scenario. The results indicated significant similarities between the shocked analogs and many mesosiderites. We have compared our analogs with a suite of thin sections of Barea mesosiderite. I have conducted a series of flash heating experiments in which equal-weight proportions of gabbro and stainless steel (SS304) powders were compressed into small charges and heated under reducing conditions for short times. These experiments were used to bracket localized, peak postshock temperatures in our analog shots and to compare the mixing relations between the silicate and metal. The shock recovery experiments used porous metal-silicate powder starting mixtures, therefore our experiments are most analogous to an impact scenario where the target is an asteroidal regolith surface composed of a loose mixture of Fe-Ni metal and heterogeneous silicates. Analog experiments may really describe a secondary impact process similar to the late-stage, localized impact melting event. This leaves one of the crucial questions about mesosiderite genesis unanswered, namely what is the source of the Fe-Ni metal that is so intimately distributed in these meteorites?

  16. Novel orally active epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) analogs attenuate cisplatin nephrotoxicity

    PubMed Central

    Khan, Md. Abdul Hye; Liu, Jing; Kumar, Ganesh; Skapek, Stephen X.; Falck, John R.; Imig, John D.

    2013-01-01

    Nephrotoxicity severely limits the use of the anticancer drug cisplatin. Oxidative stress, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contribute to cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. We developed novel orally active epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) analogs and investigated their prophylactic effect in cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity was manifested by increases in blood urea nitrogen, plasma creatinine, urinary N-acetyl-β-(d)-glucosaminidase activity, kidney injury molecule 1, and histopathology. EET analogs (10 mg/kg/d) attenuated cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity by reducing these renal injury markers by 40–80% along with a 50–70% reduction in renal tubular cast formation. This attenuated renal injury is associated with reduced oxidative stress, inflammation, and ER stress evident from reduction in related biomarkers and in the renal expression of genes involved in these pathways. Moreover, we demonstrated that the attenuated nephrotoxicity correlated with decreased apoptosis that is associated with 50–90% reduction in Bcl-2 protein family mediated proapoptotic signaling, reduced renal caspase-12 expression, and a 50% reduction in renal caspase-3 activity. We further demonstrated in vitro that the protective activity of EET analogs does not compromise the anticancer effects of cisplatin. Collectively, our data provide evidence that EET analogs attenuate cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, ER stress, and apoptosis without affecting the chemotherapeutic effects of cisplatin.—Khan, Md. A. H., Liu, J., Kumar, G., Skapek, S. X., Falck, J. R., Imig, J. D. Novel orally active epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) analogs attenuate cisplatin nephrotoxicity. PMID:23603837

  17. Discovery of a Jupiter/Saturn analog with gravitational microlensing.

    PubMed

    Gaudi, B S; Bennett, D P; Udalski, A; Gould, A; Christie, G W; Maoz, D; Dong, S; McCormick, J; Szymanski, M K; Tristram, P J; Nikolaev, S; Paczynski, B; Kubiak, M; Pietrzynski, G; Soszynski, I; Szewczyk, O; Ulaczyk, K; Wyrzykowski, L; Depoy, D L; Han, C; Kaspi, S; Lee, C-U; Mallia, F; Natusch, T; Pogge, R W; Park, B-G; Abe, F; Bond, I A; Botzler, C S; Fukui, A; Hearnshaw, J B; Itow, Y; Kamiya, K; Korpela, A V; Kilmartin, P M; Lin, W; Masuda, K; Matsubara, Y; Motomura, M; Muraki, Y; Nakamura, S; Okumura, T; Ohnishi, K; Rattenbury, N J; Sako, T; Saito, To; Sato, S; Skuljan, L; Sullivan, D J; Sumi, T; Sweatman, W L; Yock, P C M; Albrow, M D; Allan, A; Beaulieu, J-P; Burgdorf, M J; Cook, K H; Coutures, C; Dominik, M; Dieters, S; Fouqué, P; Greenhill, J; Horne, K; Steele, I; Tsapras, Y; Chaboyer, B; Crocker, A; Frank, S; Macintosh, B

    2008-02-15

    Searches for extrasolar planets have uncovered an astonishing diversity of planetary systems, yet the frequency of solar system analogs remains unknown. The gravitational microlensing planet search method is potentially sensitive to multiple-planet systems containing analogs of all the solar system planets except Mercury. We report the detection of a multiple-planet system with microlensing. We identify two planets with masses of approximately 0.71 and approximately 0.27 times the mass of Jupiter and orbital separations of approximately 2.3 and approximately 4.6 astronomical units orbiting a primary star of mass approximately 0.50 solar mass at a distance of approximately 1.5 kiloparsecs. This system resembles a scaled version of our solar system in that the mass ratio, separation ratio, and equilibrium temperatures of the planets are similar to those of Jupiter and Saturn. These planets could not have been detected with other techniques; their discovery from only six confirmed microlensing planet detections suggests that solar system analogs may be common.

  18. Addressable Cholesterol Analogs for Live Imaging of Cellular Membranes.

    PubMed

    Rakers, Lena; Grill, David; Matos, Anna L L; Wulff, Stephanie; Wang, Da; Börgel, Jonas; Körsgen, Martin; Arlinghaus, Heinrich F; Galla, Hans-Joachim; Gerke, Volker; Glorius, Frank

    2018-05-01

    Cholesterol is an essential component of most biological membranes and serves important functions in controlling membrane integrity, organization, and signaling. However, probes to follow the dynamic distribution of cholesterol in live cells are scarce and so far show only limited applicability. Herein, we addressed this problem by synthesizing and characterizing a class of versatile and clickable cholesterol-based imidazolium salts. We show that these cholesterol analogs faithfully mimic the biophysical properties of natural cholesterol in phospholipid mono- and bilayers, and that they integrate into the plasma membrane of cultured and primary human cells. The membrane-incorporated cholesterol analogs can be specifically labeled by click chemistry and visualized in live-cell imaging experiments that show a distribution and behavior comparable with that of endogenous membrane cholesterol. These results indicate that the cholesterol analogs can be used to reveal the dynamic distribution of cholesterol in live cells. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. DockoMatic: automated peptide analog creation for high throughput virtual screening.

    PubMed

    Jacob, Reed B; Bullock, Casey W; Andersen, Tim; McDougal, Owen M

    2011-10-01

    The purpose of this manuscript is threefold: (1) to describe an update to DockoMatic that allows the user to generate cyclic peptide analog structure files based on protein database (pdb) files, (2) to test the accuracy of the peptide analog structure generation utility, and (3) to evaluate the high throughput capacity of DockoMatic. The DockoMatic graphical user interface interfaces with the software program Treepack to create user defined peptide analogs. To validate this approach, DockoMatic produced cyclic peptide analogs were tested for three-dimensional structure consistency and binding affinity against four experimentally determined peptide structure files available in the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics database. The peptides used to evaluate this new functionality were alpha-conotoxins ImI, PnIA, and their published analogs. Peptide analogs were generated by DockoMatic and tested for their ability to bind to X-ray crystal structure models of the acetylcholine binding protein originating from Aplysia californica. The results, consisting of more than 300 simulations, demonstrate that DockoMatic predicts the binding energy of peptide structures to within 3.5 kcal mol(-1), and the orientation of bound ligand compares to within 1.8 Å root mean square deviation for ligand structures as compared to experimental data. Evaluation of high throughput virtual screening capacity demonstrated that Dockomatic can collect, evaluate, and summarize the output of 10,000 AutoDock jobs in less than 2 hours of computational time, while 100,000 jobs requires approximately 15 hours and 1,000,000 jobs is estimated to take up to a week. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. The Spaceward Bound Field Training Curriculum for Moon and Mars Analog Environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rask, J. C.; Heldmann, J.; Smith, H.; Battler, M.; Fristad, K.; Allner, M.; Clardy, T.; Clark, O.; Taylor, C.; Citron, R.; Corbin, B.; Negron, G.; Skok, J.; Taylor, L.; Centinello, F.; Duncan, A.; Fan, A.; Pavon, S.; Sutton, W.; Drakonakis, V.; Gilbert, C.

    2007-03-01

    We have developed the Spaceward Bound field curriculum for Moon and Mars analog environments. It is designed to train students in the fundamentals of Moon and Mars analog station operations, logistics, fieldwork, and scientific investigation.

  1. Social analogical reasoning in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing peers.

    PubMed

    Green, Adam E; Kenworthy, Lauren; Gallagher, Natalie M; Antezana, Ligia; Mosner, Maya G; Krieg, Samantha; Dudley, Katherina; Ratto, Allison; Yerys, Benjamin E

    2017-05-01

    Analogical reasoning is an important mechanism for social cognition in typically developing children, and recent evidence suggests that some forms of analogical reasoning may be preserved in autism spectrum disorder. An unanswered question is whether children with autism spectrum disorder can apply analogical reasoning to social information. In all, 92 children with autism spectrum disorder completed a social content analogical reasoning task presented via photographs of real-world social interactions. Autism spectrum disorder participants exhibited performance that was well above chance and was not significantly worse than age- and intelligence quotient-matched typically developing children. Investigating the relationship of social content analogical reasoning performance to age in this cross-sectional dataset indicated similar developmental trajectories in the autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children groups. These findings provide new support for intact analogical reasoning in autism spectrum disorder and have theoretical implications for analogy as a metacognitive skill that may be at least partially dissociable from general deficits in processing social content. As an initial study of social analogical reasoning in children with autism spectrum disorder, this study focused on a basic research question with limited ecological validity. Evidence that children with autism spectrum disorder can apply analogical reasoning ability to social content may have long-range applied implications for exploring how this capacity might be channeled to improve social cognition in daily life.

  2. Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments

    PubMed Central

    Graham, Heather V.; Des Marais, David J.; Hausrath, Elisabeth M.; Horgan, Briony; McCollom, Thomas M.; Parenteau, M. Niki; Potter-McIntyre, Sally L.; Williams, Amy J.; Lynch, Kennda L.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract This review of material relevant to the Conference on Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments summarizes the meeting materials and discussions and is further expanded upon by detailed references to the published literature. From this diverse source material, there is a detailed discussion on the habitability and biosignature preservation potential of five primary analog environments: hydrothermal spring systems, subaqueous environments, subaerial environments, subsurface environments, and iron-rich systems. Within the context of exploring past habitable environments on Mars, challenges common to all of these key environments are laid out, followed by a focused discussion for each environment regarding challenges to orbital and ground-based observations and sample selection. This leads into a short section on how these challenges could influence our strategies and priorities for the astrobiological exploration of Mars. Finally, a listing of urgent needs and future research highlights key elements such as development of instrumentation as well as continued exploration into how Mars may have evolved differently from Earth and what that might mean for biosignature preservation and detection. Key Words: Biosignature preservation—Biosignature detection—Mars analog environments—Conference report—Astrobiological exploration. Astrobiology 17, 363–400. PMID:28177270

  3. Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments.

    PubMed

    Hays, Lindsay E; Graham, Heather V; Des Marais, David J; Hausrath, Elisabeth M; Horgan, Briony; McCollom, Thomas M; Parenteau, M Niki; Potter-McIntyre, Sally L; Williams, Amy J; Lynch, Kennda L

    2017-04-01

    This review of material relevant to the Conference on Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments summarizes the meeting materials and discussions and is further expanded upon by detailed references to the published literature. From this diverse source material, there is a detailed discussion on the habitability and biosignature preservation potential of five primary analog environments: hydrothermal spring systems, subaqueous environments, subaerial environments, subsurface environments, and iron-rich systems. Within the context of exploring past habitable environments on Mars, challenges common to all of these key environments are laid out, followed by a focused discussion for each environment regarding challenges to orbital and ground-based observations and sample selection. This leads into a short section on how these challenges could influence our strategies and priorities for the astrobiological exploration of Mars. Finally, a listing of urgent needs and future research highlights key elements such as development of instrumentation as well as continued exploration into how Mars may have evolved differently from Earth and what that might mean for biosignature preservation and detection. Key Words: Biosignature preservation-Biosignature detection-Mars analog environments-Conference report-Astrobiological exploration. Astrobiology 17, 363-400.

  4. Structuring students’ analogical reasoning in solving algebra problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lailiyah, S.; Nusantara, T.; Sa'dijah, C.; Irawan, E. B.; Kusaeri; Asyhar, A. H.

    2018-01-01

    The average achievement of Indonesian students’ mathematics skills according to Benchmark International Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is ranked at the 38th out of 42 countries and according to the survey result in Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is ranked at the 64th out of 65 countries. The low mathematics skill of Indonesian student has become an important reason to research more deeply about reasoning and algebra in mathematics. Analogical reasoning is a very important component in mathematics because it is the key to creativity and it can make the learning process in the classroom become effective. The major part of the analogical reasoning is about structuring including the processes of inferencing and decision-making happens. Those processes involve base domain and target domain. Methodologically, the subjects of this research were 42 students from class XII. The sources of data were derived from the results of thinks aloud, the transcribed interviews, and the videos taken while the subject working on the instruments and interviews. The collected data were analyzed using qualitative techniques. The result of this study described the structuring characteristics of students’ analogical reasoning in solving algebra problems from all the research subjects.

  5. Bandwidth tunable microwave photonic filter based on digital and analog modulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Qi; Zhang, Jie; Li, Qiang; Wang, Yubing; Sun, Xian; Dong, Wei; Zhang, Xindong

    2018-05-01

    A bandwidth tunable microwave photonic filter based on digital and analog modulation is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The digital modulation is used to broaden the effective gain spectrum and the analog modulation is to get optical lines. By changing the symbol rate of data pattern, the bandwidth is tunable from 50 MHz to 700 MHz. The interval of optical lines is set according to the bandwidth of gain spectrum which is related to the symbol rate. Several times of bandwidth increase are achieved compared to a single analog modulation and the selectivity of the response is increased by 3.7 dB compared to a single digital modulation.

  6. [Magician nature and human magician: on a fundamental analogy of alchemy].

    PubMed

    Schott, Heinz

    2010-01-01

    This contribution discusses Paracelsism-influenced early-modern alchemy. There are notably two forms of analogy, each hierarchically arranged: a vertically ordered analogy ("as above, thus below") in which Nature is situated as mediator between God and man, and a horizontally ordered analogy ("as without, thus within") in which Nature's magic is regarded as a model for man, particularly expressed in the metaphor of "Vulcan" (smith) and doctor (e.g., Nature as inner healer). In alchemy the conventional "healing power of Nature" is pin-pointed: The doctor (as alchemist, magician) must unravel Nature's secrets and emulate her magic to perfect her work -particularly medicine production. Diagrams and historical depictions illustrate this.

  7. Sensitivity of snowpack storage to precipitation and temperature using spatial and temporal analog models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luce, Charles H.; Lopez-Burgos, Viviana; Holden, Zachary

    2014-12-01

    Empirical sensitivity analyses are important for evaluation of the effects of a changing climate on water resources and ecosystems. Although mechanistic models are commonly applied for evaluation of climate effects for snowmelt, empirical relationships provide a first-order validation of the various postulates required for their implementation. Previous studies of empirical sensitivity for April 1 snow water equivalent (SWE) in the western United States were developed by regressing interannual variations in SWE to winter precipitation and temperature. This offers a temporal analog for climate change, positing that a warmer future looks like warmer years. Spatial analogs are used to hypothesize that a warmer future may look like warmer places, and are frequently applied alternatives for complex processes, or states/metrics that show little interannual variability (e.g., forest cover). We contrast spatial and temporal analogs for sensitivity of April 1 SWE and the mean residence time of snow (SRT) using data from 524 Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) stations across the western U.S. We built relatively strong models using spatial analogs to relate temperature and precipitation climatology to snowpack climatology (April 1 SWE, R2=0.87, and SRT, R2=0.81). Although the poorest temporal analog relationships were in areas showing the highest sensitivity to warming, spatial analog models showed consistent performance throughout the range of temperature and precipitation. Generally, slopes from the spatial relationships showed greater thermal sensitivity than the temporal analogs, and high elevation stations showed greater vulnerability using a spatial analog than shown in previous modeling and sensitivity studies. The spatial analog models provide a simple perspective to evaluate potential futures and may be useful in further evaluation of snowpack with warming.

  8. A digital-type fluxgate magnetometer using a sigma-delta digital-to-analog converter for a sounding rocket experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iguchi, Kyosuke; Matsuoka, Ayako

    2014-07-01

    One of the design challenges for future magnetospheric satellite missions is optimizing the mass, size, and power consumption of the instruments to meet the mission requirements. We have developed a digital-type fluxgate (DFG) magnetometer that is anticipated to have significantly less mass and volume than the conventional analog-type. Hitherto, the lack of a space-grade digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with good accuracy has prevented the development of a high-performance DFG. To solve this problem, we developed a high-resolution DAC using parts whose performance was equivalent to existing space-grade parts. The developed DAC consists of a 1-bit second-order sigma-delta modulator and a fourth-order analog low-pass filter. We tested the performance of the DAC experimentally and found that it had better than 17-bits resolution in 80% of the measurement range, and the linearity error was 2-13.3 of the measurement range. We built a DFG flight model (in which this DAC was embedded) for a sounding rocket experiment as an interim step in the development of a future satellite mission. The noise of this DFG was 0.79 nTrms at 0.1-10 Hz, which corresponds to a roughly 17-bit resolution. The results show that the sigma-delta DAC and the DFG had a performance that is consistent with our optimized design, and the noise was as expected from the noise simulation. Finally, we have confirmed that the DFG worked successfully during the flight of the sounding rocket.

  9. Teamwork in high-risk environments analogous to space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kanki, Barbara G.

    1990-01-01

    Mountaineering expeditions combine a number of factors which make them potentially good analogs to the planetary exploration facet of long-duration space missions. A study of mountain climbing teams was conducted in order to evaluate the usefulness of the environment as a space analog and to specifically identify the factors and issues surrounding teamwork and 'successful' team performance in two mountaineering environments. This paper focuses on social/organizational factors, including team size and structure, leadership styles and authority structure which were found in the sample of 22 climb teams (122 individuals). The second major issue discussed is the construction of a valid performance measure in this high-risk environment.

  10. Terrestrial analogs of the hellespontus dunes, Mars

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Breed, C.S.

    1977-01-01

    Geomorphic features in the Hellespontus region, Mars, were compared with dunes of the crescentic ridge type in numerous terrestrial sand seas quantitatively by dimensional analysis of dune lengths, widths, and wavelengths. Mean values for the Hellespontus dunes are close to mean values derived from measurements of all sampled terrestrial sand seas. Terrestrial analogs of form and areal distribution of the Hellespontus dunes are shown by comparison of scale ratios derived from the measurements. Dunes of similar form occur in South West Africa, in Pakistan, in the southeastern Arabian peninsula, in the Sahara, in eastern USSR and northern China, and in western North America. Terrestrial analogs closest to form and areal distribution of the Hellespontus dunes are in the Kara Kum Desert, Turkmen SSR, and in the Ala Shan (Gobi) Desert, China. ?? 1977.

  11. Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype A Inhibitors: Small-Molecule Mercaptoacetamide Analogs

    PubMed Central

    Moe, Scott T.; Thompson, Andrew B.; Smith, Genessa M.; Fredenburg, Ross A.; Stein, Ross L.; Jacobson, Alan R

    2009-01-01

    Botulinum neurotoxin elicits its paralytic activity through a zinc-dependant metalloprotease that cleaves proteins involved in neurotransmitter release. Currently, no drugs are available to reverse the effects of botulinum intoxication. Herein we report the design of a novel series of mercaptoacetamide small-molecule inhibitors active against botulinum neurotoxin serotype A. These analogs show low micromolar inhibitory activity against the isolated enzyme. Structure-activity relationship studies for a series of mercaptoacetamide analogs of 5-amino-3-phenylpyrazole reveal components essential for potent inhibitory activity. PMID:19329331

  12. Digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lamata, Lucas

    We propose a digital-analog quantum simulation of generalized Dicke models with superconducting circuits, including Fermi-Bose condensates, biased and pulsed Dicke models, for all regimes of light-matter coupling. We encode these classes of problems in a set of superconducting qubits coupled with a bosonic mode implemented by a transmission line resonator. Via digital-analog techniques, an efficient quantum simulation can be performed in state-of-the-art circuit quantum electrodynamics platforms, by suitable decomposition into analog qubit-bosonic blocks and collective single-qubit pulses through digital steps. Moreover, just a single global analog block would be needed during the whole protocol in most of the cases, superimposed with fast periodic pulses to rotate and detune the qubits. Therefore, a large number of digital steps may be attained with this approach, providing a reduced digital error. Additionally, the number of gates per digital step does not grow with the number of qubits, rendering the simulation efficient. This strategy paves the way for the scalable digital-analog quantum simulation of many-body dynamics involving bosonic modes and spin degrees of freedom with superconducting circuits. The author wishes to acknowledge discussions with I. Arrazola, A. Mezzacapo, J. S. Pedernales, and E. Solano, and support from Ramon y Cajal Grant RYC-2012-11391, Spanish MINECO/FEDER FIS2015-69983-P, UPV/EHU UFI 11/55 and Project EHUA14/04.

  13. Consensus statement on the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs in children.

    PubMed

    Carel, Jean-Claude; Eugster, Erica A; Rogol, Alan; Ghizzoni, Lucia; Palmert, Mark R; Antoniazzi, Franco; Berenbaum, Sheri; Bourguignon, Jean-Pierre; Chrousos, George P; Coste, Joël; Deal, Sheri; de Vries, Liat; Foster, Carol; Heger, Sabine; Holland, Jack; Jahnukainen, Kirsi; Juul, Anders; Kaplowitz, Paul; Lahlou, Najiba; Lee, Mary M; Lee, Peter; Merke, Deborah P; Neely, E Kirk; Oostdijk, Wilma; Phillip, Moshe; Rosenfield, Robert L; Shulman, Dorothy; Styne, Dennis; Tauber, Maïthé; Wit, Jan M

    2009-04-01

    Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs revolutionized the treatment of central precocious puberty. However, questions remain regarding their optimal use in central precocious puberty and other conditions. The Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society and the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology convened a consensus conference to review the clinical use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs in children and adolescents. When selecting the 30 participants, consideration was given to equal representation from North America (United States and Canada) and Europe, an equal male/female ratio, and a balanced spectrum of professional seniority and expertise. Preference was given to articles written in English with long-term outcome data. The US Public Health grading system was used to grade evidence and rate the strength of conclusions. When evidence was insufficient, conclusions were based on expert opinion. Participants were put into working groups with assigned topics and specific questions. Written materials were prepared and distributed before the conference, revised on the basis of input during the meeting, and presented to the full assembly for final review. If consensus could not be reached, conclusions were based on majority vote. All participants approved the final statement. The efficacy of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs in increasing adult height is undisputed only in early-onset (girls <6 years old) central precocious puberty. Other key areas, such as the psychosocial effects of central precocious puberty and their alteration by gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs, need additional study. Few controlled prospective studies have been performed with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs in children, and many conclusions rely in part on collective expert opinion. The conference did not endorse commonly voiced concerns regarding the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs, such as promotion of weight gain or long-term diminution of bone

  14. Antarctic Space Analog Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Palinkas, Lawrence A; Gunderson, E. K. Eric; Johnson, Jeffrey C.; Holland, Albert W.

    1998-01-01

    The primary aim of this project was to examine group dynamics and individual performance in extreme, isolated environments and identify human factors requirements for long-duration space missions using data collected in an analog environment. Specifically, we wished to determine: 1) the characteristics of social relations in small groups of individuals living and working together in extreme, isolated environments, and 2) the environmental, social and psychological determinants of performance effectiveness in such groups. These two issues were examined in six interrelated studies using data collected in small, isolated research stations in Antarctica from 1963 to the present. Results from these six studies indicated that behavior and performance on long-duration space flights is likely to be seasonal or cyclical, situational, social, and salutogenic in nature. The project responded to two NASA program emphases for FY 1997 as described in the NRA: 1) the primary emphasis of the Behavior and Performance Program on determining long-term individual and group performance responses to space, identifying critical factors affecting those responses and understanding underlying mechanisms involved in behavior and performance, and developing and using ground-based models and analogs for studying space-related behavior and performance; and 2) the emphasis of the Data Analysis Program on extended data analysis. Results from the study were used to develop recommendations for the design and development of pre-flight crew training and in-flight psychological countermeasures for long-duration manned space missions.

  15. Use of the "Tree" Analogy in Evolution Teaching by Biology Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marcelos, Maria Fatima; Nagem, Ronaldo Luiz

    2012-01-01

    This work discusses the use of Darwin's "Tree of Life" as a didactic analogy and metaphor in teaching evolution. It investigates whether biology teachers of pupils from 17 to 18 years old know Darwin's text "Tree of Life". In addition, it examines whether those teachers systematically employ either the analogies present in that…

  16. The Efficacy of Interactive Analogical Models in the Instruction of Bond Energy Curves in Undergraduate Chemistry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shahani, Vijay M.; Jenkinson, Jodie

    2016-01-01

    We explored analogies used for introducing students to the concept of potential energy wells. Two analogy systems were developed, a spring system and a novel system consisting of electrostatic spheres. These two, distinct analogies were housed within an interactive tool that allowed students to manipulate the analogous systems and witness changes…

  17. Plant a tree in cyberspace: metaphor and analogy as design elements in Web-based learning environments.

    PubMed

    Wolfe, C R

    2001-02-01

    Analogy and metaphor are figurative forms of communication that help people integrate new information with prior knowledge to facilitate comprehension and appropriate inferences. The novelty and versatility of the Web place cognitive burdens on learners that can be overcome through the use of analogies and metaphors. This paper explores three uses of figurative communication as design elements in Web-based learning environments, and provides empirical illustrations of each. First, extended analogies can be used as the basis of cover stories that create an analogy between the learner's position and a hypothetical situation. The Dragonfly Web pages make extensive use of analogous cover stories in the design of interactive decision-making games. Feedback from visitors, patterns of usage, and external reviews provide evidence of effectiveness. A second approach is visual analogies based on the principles of ecological psychology. An empirical example suggests that visual analogies are most effective when there is a one-to-one correspondence between the base and visual target analogs. The use of learner-generated analogies is a third approach. Data from an offline study with undergraduate science students are presented indicating that generating analogies are associated with significant improvements in the ability to place events in natural history on a time line. It is concluded that cyberspace itself might form the basis of the next guiding metaphor of mind.

  18. Visual analog rating of mood by people with aphasia.

    PubMed

    Haley, Katarina L; Womack, Jennifer L; Harmon, Tyson G; Williams, Sharon W

    2015-08-01

    Considerable attention has been given to the identification of depression in stroke survivors with aphasia, but there is more limited information about other mood states. Visual analog scales are often used to collect subjective information from people with aphasia. However, the validity of these methods for communicating about mood has not been established in people with moderately to severely impaired language. The dual purposes of this study were to characterize the relative endorsement of negative and positive mood states in people with chronic aphasia after stroke and to examine congruent validity for visual analog rating methods for people with a range of aphasia severity. Twenty-three left-hemisphere stroke survivors with aphasia were asked to indicate their present mood by using two published visual analog rating methods. The congruence between the methods was estimated through correlation analysis, and scores for different moods were compared. Endorsement was significantly stronger for "happy" than for mood states with negative valence. At the same time, several participants displayed pronounced negative mood compared to previously published norms for neurologically healthy adults. Results from the two rating methods were moderately and positively correlated. Positive mood is prominent in people with aphasia who are in the chronic stage of recovery after stroke, but negative moods can also be salient and individual presentations are diverse. Visual analog rating methods are valid methods for discussing mood with people with aphasia; however, design optimization should be explored.

  19. Biological Analogs for Language Contact Situations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seliger, Herbert W.

    1977-01-01

    This article proposes that language contact can be best understood if the entire range of such situations from second language learning to evolution of dialects and creoles is studied within a framework analogical to the symbiosis of living organisms. Language contact is viewed in terms of dynamic evolutionary stages. (CHK)

  20. The Analog (Computer) As a Physiology Adjunct.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, Peter A.

    1979-01-01

    Defines and discusses the analog computer and its use in a physiology laboratory. Includes two examples: (1) The Respiratory Control Function and (2) CO-Two Control in the Respiratory System. Presents diagrams and mathematical models. (MA)

  1. No Gene Is an Island: Analogical Relations between Science and Literature.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ryan, Frank L.

    Arguing that scientific facts and insights can be used analogically to clarify literary analysis at specific moments, this paper presents a number of such facts and their analogical relationship to several literary passages. The examples cited relate the first and second laws of thermodynamics to scenes from "King Lear," rigid bodies in motion to…

  2. Analysis of Analogy Use in Secondary Education Science Textbooks in Turkey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akçay, Süleyman

    2016-01-01

    Analogical reasoning is both an innate ability and a basic learning mechanism that can be improved. In classrooms, it is an important tool used by teachers, especially when explaining difficult or abstract issues. In addition to its use in all aspects of our lives, analogical reasoning is commonly used in textbooks. This research examines the…

  3. Highly linear, sensitive analog-to-digital converter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cox, J.; Finley, W. R.

    1969-01-01

    Analog-to-digital converter converts 10 volt full scale input signal into 13 bit digital output. Advantages include high sensitivity, linearity, low quantitizing error, high resistance to mechanical shock and vibration loads, and temporary data storage capabilities.

  4. High resolution multi-facies realizations of sedimentary reservoir and aquifer analogs

    PubMed Central

    Bayer, Peter; Comunian, Alessandro; Höyng, Dominik; Mariethoz, Gregoire

    2015-01-01

    Geological structures are by nature inaccessible to direct observation. This can cause difficulties in applications where a spatially explicit representation of such structures is required, in particular when modelling fluid migration in geological formations. An increasing trend in recent years has been to use analogs to palliate this lack of knowledge, i.e., exploiting the spatial information from sites where the geology is accessible (outcrops, quarry sites) and transferring the observed properties to a study site deemed geologically similar. While this approach is appealing, it is difficult to put in place because of the lack of access to well-documented analog data. In this paper we present comprehensive analog data sets which characterize sedimentary structures from important groundwater hosting formations in Germany and Brazil. Multiple 2-D outcrop faces are described in terms of hydraulic, thermal and chemical properties and interpolated in 3-D using stochastic techniques. These unique data sets can be used by the wider community to implement analog approaches for characterizing reservoir and aquifer formations. PMID:26175910

  5. Opioid and neurokinin activities of substance P fragments and their analogs.

    PubMed

    Lei, S Z; Lipkowski, A W; Wilcox, G L

    1991-02-07

    Newly developed substance P (SP) analogs with altered N-terminal sequences which equalize the lipophilicity of the N-terminal and C-terminal elements and of their fusion product were examined using i.t. injection in mice. I.t. injection of either the full length analog or the C-terminal hexapeptide (CP) produced biting and scratching behavior similar to that elicited by SP. SPF was approximately 5-fold and CP 14-fold less potent than native SP. The N-terminal peptide (NP) was inactive by itself but inhibited CP-elicited behavior. Naloxone antagonized this action of NP and shifted the SPF dose-response curve 4-fold to the left. However, naloxone had no effect on the action of CP or on the action of any of the native neurokinins. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that N- and C-terminal analogs of SP can have opioid and SP-like actions, respectively, in the CNS of rodents. Furthermore, analogs of SP which include at least the terminal tetrapeptide retain neurokinin activity.

  6. Vitamin D3 analogs stimulate hair growth in nude mice.

    PubMed

    Vegesna, Vijaya; O'Kelly, James; Uskokovic, Milan; Said, Jonathan; Lemp, Nathan; Saitoh, Takayuki; Ikezoe, Takayuki; Binderup, Lise; Koeffler, H Phillip

    2002-11-01

    The active form of vitamin D3 can regulate epidermal keratinization by inducing terminal differentiation; and mice lacking the vitamin D receptor display defects leading to postnatal alopecia. These observations implicate the vitamin D3 pathway in regulation of hair growth. We tested the ability of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its synthetic analogs to stimulate hair growth in biege/nude/xid (BNX) nu/nu (nude) mice exhibiting congenital alopecia. Nude mice were treated with different vitamin D3 analogs at doses that we had previously found to be the highest dose without inducing toxicity (hypercalcemia). The mice were monitored for hair growth and were scored according to a defined scale. Skin samples were taken for histological observation of hair follicles and for extraction of RNA and protein. Vitamin D3 analogs dramatically stimulated the hair growth of nude mice, although parental 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 had no effect. Hair growth occurred in a cyclical pattern, accompanied by formation of normal hair follicles and increased expression of certain keratins (Ha7, Ha8, and Hb3). Vitamin D3 analogs seem to act on keratinocytes to initiate hair follicle cycling and stimulate hair growth in mice that otherwise do not grow hair.

  7. Difference in brain activations during appreciating paintings and photographic analogs

    PubMed Central

    Mizokami, Yoshinori; Terao, Takeshi; Hatano, Koji; Hoaki, Nobuhiko; Kohno, Kentaro; Araki, Yasuo; Kodama, Kensuke; Makino, Mayu; Izumi, Toshihiko; Shimomura, Tsuyoshi; Fujiki, Minoru; Kochiyama, Takanori

    2014-01-01

    Several studies have investigated neural correlates of aesthetic appreciation for paintings but to date the findings have been heterogeneous. This heterogeneity may be attributed to previous studies’ measurement of aesthetic appreciation of not only the beauty of paintings but also the beauty of motifs of the paintings. In order to better elucidate the beauty of paintings, it seems necessary to compare aesthetic appreciation of paintings and photographic analogs which included corresponding real images. We prepared for famous painters’ pictures and their photographic analogs which were set up to resemble each painting in order to investigate the hypothesis that there exist specific neural correlates associated with the aesthetic appreciation for paintings. Forty-four subjects participated in functional magnetic resonance study which required comparisons of aesthetic appreciation of paintings of still life and landscape versus photographic analogs including corresponding real images of still life and landscape. Bilateral cuneus and the left lingual gyrus were activated in the comparison of aesthetic appreciation of paintings versus photographic analogs. In conclusion, the present findings suggest a possibility of the existence of specific neural correlates associated with the aesthetic appreciation for paintings and that bilateral cuneus and the left lingual gyrus may be involved. PMID:25071508

  8. Postural Responses Following Space Flight and Ground Based Analogs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kofman, Igor S.; Reschke, Millard F.; Cerisano, Jody M.; Fisher, Elizabeth A.; Tomilovskaya, Elena V.; Kozlovskaya, Inessa B.; Bloomberg, Jacob B.

    2013-01-01

    With the transition from the Shuttle program to the International Space Station (ISS), the opportunity to fly sensorimotor experiments in a weightless environment has become increasingly more difficult to obtain. As a result, more investigations have turned to ground-based analogs as a way of evaluating an experiment's viability. The two primary analogs available to most investigators are 6deg head down bed rest (HDBR) and dry immersion (DI). For the time being, HDBR investigations have been associated with studies conducted in the United States while the Russians and several other European Union states have concentrated their efforts on using DI as the space flight analog of choice. While either model may be viable for cardiovascular, bone and other system changes, vestibular and sensorimotor investigators have retained serious reservations of either analog's potential to serve as a replacement for a true weightless environment. These reservations have merit, but it is worthwhile to consider that not all changes associated with sensorimotor function during space flight are the result of top-down modifications, but may also be due to the lack, or change, of appropriate support surfaces applying force to the bottom of the feet. To this end we have compared quiet stance postural responses between short duration Space Shuttle flights, long duration ISS flights and HDBR of varying duration. Using these three platforms, representing different modifications of support we investigated postural ataxia using a quiet stance model. Quiet stance was obtained by asking the subjects to stand upright on a force plate, eyes open, arms at the side of the body for three min. From the force plate we obtained average sway velocity in two axes as well as length of line (stabilogram). These parameters were then related to EMG activity recorded from the medial gastrocnemius and lateral tibialis. It is significant to note that postural ataxia measured as quiet stance shows analogous

  9. Invention through Form and Function Analogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rule, Audrey C.

    2015-01-01

    "Invention through Form and Function Analogy" is an invention book for teachers and other leaders working with youth who are involving students in the invention process. The book consists of an introduction and set of nine learning cycle formatted lessons for teaching the principles of invention through the science and engineering design…

  10. Metaphor, Simile, Analogy and the Brain

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riddell, Patricia

    2016-01-01

    Fox argues that the poetic function of language fulfils the human need to symbolise. Metaphor, simile and analogy provide examples of the ways in which symbolic language can be used creatively. The neural representations of these processes therefore provide a means to determine the neurological basis of creative language. Neuro-imaging has…

  11. Learning from Science Text: Role of an Elaborate Analogy. Reading Research Report No. 71.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glynn, Shawn M.

    A study examined the role that an elaborate analogy can play when high school students learn a concept from a leading science textbook. The elaborate analogy had graphic and text components that integrated and mapped key features from the analogy (a factory) to the target concept (an animal cell). The target features were parts of the cell and, by…

  12. Clinical utility of insulin and insulin analogs

    PubMed Central

    Sanlioglu, Ahter D.; Altunbas, Hasan Ali; Balci, Mustafa Kemal; Griffith, Thomas S.; Sanlioglu, Salih

    2013-01-01

    Diabetes is a pandemic disease characterized by autoimmune, genetic and metabolic abnormalities. While insulin deficiency manifested as hyperglycemia is a common sequel of both Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes (T1DM and T2DM), it does not result from a single genetic defect—rather insulin deficiency results from the functional loss of pancreatic β cells due to multifactorial mechanisms. Since pancreatic β cells of patients with T1DM are destroyed by autoimmune reaction, these patients require daily insulin injections. Insulin resistance followed by β cell dysfunction and β cell loss is the characteristics of T2DM. Therefore, most patients with T2DM will require insulin treatment due to eventual loss of insulin secretion. Despite the evidence of early insulin treatment lowering macrovascular (coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease and stroke) and microvascular (diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy) complications of T2DM, controversy exists among physicians on how to initiate and intensify insulin therapy. The slow acting nature of regular human insulin makes its use ineffective in counteracting postprandial hyperglycemia. Instead, recombinant insulin analogs have been generated with a variable degree of specificity and action. Due to the metabolic variability among individuals, optimum blood glucose management is a formidable task to accomplish despite the presence of novel insulin analogs. In this article, we present a recent update on insulin analog structure and function with an overview of the evidence on the various insulin regimens clinically used to treat diabetes. PMID:23584214

  13. Analog Ranging Modem Code Processor and Generator

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1974-05-01

    The report details technical development efforts to implement an analog ranging modem using recently developed linear integrated circuits where possible. The breadboard hardware is capable of acquiring frequency and phase of a weak signal in a high n...

  14. Phase-locked loops. [in analog and digital circuits communication system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gupta, S. C.

    1975-01-01

    An attempt to systematically outline the work done in the area of phase-locked loops which are now used in modern communication system design is presented. The analog phase-locked loops are well documented in several books but discrete, analog-digital, and digital phase-locked loop work is scattered. Apart from discussing the various analysis, design, and application aspects of phase-locked loops, a number of references are given in the bibliography.

  15. Chemistry of isoflavone heteroanalogs. 11. Benzodioxane analogs of chalcone, flavone, and isoflavone

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Khilya, V.P.; Aitmambetov, A.; Turov, A.V.

    1986-08-01

    Benzodioxane analogs of chalcones and their epoxides have been prepared. Different types of analogs of natural flavonolignan - silibin - have been synthesized from these compounds. The PMR spectra of the new compounds and the results of the preliminary biological testings are reported and discussed.

  16. A Systematic Evaluation of Analogs for the Read-across Prediction of Estrogenicity (Future Tox III)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Read-across is a data gap filling technique which is commonly used within category and analog approaches to predict a biological property for a target data-poor chemical using known information from similar (analog) chemical(s). Analog identification and evaluation are critical ...

  17. Investigation of analog/RF performance of staggered heterojunctions based nanowire tunneling field-effect transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chakraborty, Avik; Sarkar, Angsuman

    2015-04-01

    In this paper, the analog/RF performance of an III-V semiconductor based staggered hetero-tunnel-junction (HETJ) n-type nanowire (NW) tunneling FET (n-TFET) is investigated, for the first time. The device performance figure-of-merits governing the analog/RF performance such as transconductance (gm), transconductance-to-drive current ratio (gm/IDS), output resistance (Rout), intrinsic gain and unity-gain cutoff frequency (fT) have been studied. The analog/RF performance parameters is compared between HETJ NW TFET and a homojunction (HJ) NW n-type TFET of similar dimensions. In addition to enhanced ION and subthreshold swing, a significant improvement in the analog/RF performance parameters obtained by the HETJ n-TFET over HJ counterpart for use in analog/mixed signal System-on-Chip (SoC) applications is reported. Moreover, the analog/RF performance parameters of a III-V based staggered HETJ NW TFET is also compared with a heterojunction (HETJ) NW n-type MOSFET having same material as HETJ n-TFET and equal dimension in order to provide a systematic comparison between HETJ-TFET and HETJ-MOSFET for use in analog/mixed-signal applications. The results reveal that HETJ n-TFET provides higher Rout and hence, a higher intrinsic gain, an improved gm/IDS ratio, and reasonable fT at lower values of gate-overdrive voltage as compared to the HETJ NW n-MOSFET.

  18. SSERVI Analog Regolith Simulant Testbed Facility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Minafra, Joseph; Schmidt, Gregory; Bailey, Brad; Gibbs, Kristina

    2016-10-01

    The Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley was founded in 2013 to act as a virtual institute that provides interdisciplinary research centered on the goals of its supporting directorates: NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and the Human Exploration & Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD).Primary research goals of the Institute revolve around the integration of science and exploration to gain knowledge required for the future of human space exploration beyond low Earth orbit. SSERVI intends to leverage existing JSC1A regolith simulant resources into the creation of a regolith simulant testbed facility. The purpose of this testbed concept is to provide the planetary exploration community with a readily available capability to test hardware and conduct research in a large simulant environment.SSERVI's goals include supporting planetary researchers within NASA, other government agencies; private sector and hardware developers; competitors in focused prize design competitions; and academic sector researchers.SSERVI provides opportunities for research scientists and engineers to study the effects of regolith analog testbed research in the planetary exploration field. This capability is essential to help to understand the basic effects of continued long-term exposure to a simulated analog test environment.The current facility houses approximately eight tons of JSC-1A lunar regolith simulant in a test bin consisting of a 4 meter by 4 meter area, including dust mitigation and safety oversight.Facility hardware and environment testing scenarios could include, Lunar surface mobility, Dust exposure and mitigation, Regolith handling and excavation, Solar-like illumination, Lunar surface compaction profile, Lofted dust, Mechanical properties of lunar regolith, Surface features (i.e. grades and rocks)Numerous benefits vary from easy access to a controlled analog regolith simulant testbed, and

  19. New Synthetic Methodology for the Construction of 7-Substituted Farnesyl Diphosphate Analogs

    PubMed Central

    Placzek, Andrew T.

    2012-01-01

    Through the use of a 1,2-metalate rearrangement, six 7-substituted farnesol analogs were generated in a concise manner. This new synthetic route allowed us to quickly prepare several diverse farnesyl diphosphate analogs with interesting biological activities against mammalian protein-farnesyl transferase. PMID:21699139

  20. A SPICE2 Model for the M732 Analog Timer Integrated Circuit.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-06-01

    I AD-All? 019 ARMY ARMAMENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT C01MAND DOVER-ETC F/ S 1/ I A SPICES MODEL FOR THE M739 ANALOG TIMER INTEGRATED CIRCUIT. (U) I...JUN $I .J P TOBAK UNCLASSIFIED AR ID-20Di S I-AD-E06 3 NL ADI- A SPICE2 MODEL FOR THE M3 ANALOG TIMR INTERNATED CIRCIT, JOHN P. TOMA DTIC JUNE 1992 13...ARrIID-TR-82001 -;AZ/ 4 " 4. TITLE (and Subtitle) S . TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED A SPICE2 MODEL FOR THE M732 ANALOG TIMER Final INTEGRATED CIRCUIT

  1. Preparation of tritium- or deuterium-labeled vitamin D analogs by a convenient general method*

    PubMed Central

    Paaren, Herbert E.; Fivizzani, Mary A.; Schnoes, Heinrich K.; DeLuca, Hector F.

    1981-01-01

    The three-step conversion of vitamin D analogs to 6-oxo-3,5-cyclovitamin D derivatives followed by reduction with a tritide or deuteride reagent and subsequent cycloreversion gives 6-tritio(deutero)vitamin D derivatives and corresponding 5,6-trans-analogs. The method is general and affords the 6-labeled-vitamin D analogs in ≈20% overall yield. PMID:6273856

  2. The Role of Transporters in the Toxicity of Nucleoside and Nucleotide Analogs

    PubMed Central

    Koczor, Christopher A; Torres, Rebecca A

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Two families of nucleoside analogs have been developed to treat viral infections and cancer, but these compounds can cause tissue and cell-specific toxicity related to their uptake and subcellular activity which are dictated by host enzymes and transporters. Cellular uptake of these compounds requires nucleoside transporters that share functional similarities but differ in substrate specificity. Tissue-specific cellular expression of these transporters enables nucleoside analogs to produce their tissue specific toxic effects, a limiting factor in the treatment of retroviruses and cancer. Areas Covered This review discusses the families of nucleoside transporters and how they mediate cellular uptake of nucleoside analogs. Specific focus is placed on examples of known cases of transporter-mediated cellular toxicity and classification of the toxicities resulting. Efflux transporters are also explored as a contributor to analog toxicity and cell-specific effects. Expert Opinion Efforts to modulate transporter uptake/clearance remain long-term goals of oncologists and virologists. Accordingly, subcellular approaches that either increase or decrease intracellular nucleoside analog concentrations are eagerly sought and include transporter inhibitors and targeting transporter expression. However, additional understanding of nucleoside transporter kinetics, tissue expression, and genetic polymorphisms are required to design better molecules and better therapies. PMID:22509856

  3. A comparative study on fluorescent cholesterol analogs as versatile cellular reporters[S

    PubMed Central

    Sezgin, Erdinc; Can, Fatma Betul; Schneider, Falk; Clausen, Mathias P.; Galiani, Silvia; Stanly, Tess A.; Waithe, Dominic; Colaco, Alexandria; Honigmann, Alf; Wüstner, Daniel; Platt, Frances; Eggeling, Christian

    2016-01-01

    Cholesterol (Chol) is a crucial component of cellular membranes, but knowledge of its intracellular dynamics is scarce. Thus, it is of utmost interest to develop tools for visualization of Chol organization and dynamics in cells and tissues. For this purpose, many studies make use of fluorescently labeled Chol analogs. Unfortunately, the introduction of the label may influence the characteristics of the analog, such as its localization, interaction, and trafficking in cells; hence, it is important to get knowledge of such bias. In this report, we compared different fluorescent lipid analogs for their performance in cellular assays: 1) plasma membrane incorporation, specifically the preference for more ordered membrane environments in phase-separated giant unilamellar vesicles and giant plasma membrane vesicles; 2) cellular trafficking, specifically subcellular localization in Niemann-Pick type C disease cells; and 3) applicability in fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS)-based and super-resolution stimulated emission depletion-FCS-based measurements of membrane diffusion dynamics. The analogs exhibited strong differences, with some indicating positive performance in the membrane-based experiments and others in the intracellular trafficking assay. However, none showed positive performance in all assays. Our results constitute a concise guide for the careful use of fluorescent Chol analogs in visualizing cellular Chol dynamics. PMID:26701325

  4. Mechatronics by Analogy and Application to Legged Locomotion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ragusila, Victor

    A new design methodology for mechatronic systems, dubbed as Mechatronics by Analogy (MbA), is introduced and applied to designing a leg mechanism. The new methodology argues that by establishing a similarity relation between a complex system and a number of simpler models it is possible to design the former using the analysis and synthesis means developed for the latter. The methodology provides a framework for concurrent engineering of complex systems while maintaining the transparency of the system behaviour through making formal analogies between the system and those with more tractable dynamics. The application of the MbA methodology to the design of a monopod robot leg, called the Linkage Leg, is also studied. A series of simulations show that the dynamic behaviour of the Linkage Leg is similar to that of a combination of a double pendulum and a spring-loaded inverted pendulum, based on which the system kinematic, dynamic, and control parameters can be designed concurrently. The first stage of Mechatronics by Analogy is a method of extracting significant features of system dynamics through simpler models. The goal is to determine a set of simpler mechanisms with similar dynamic behaviour to that of the original system in various phases of its motion. A modular bond-graph representation of the system is determined, and subsequently simplified using two simplification algorithms. The first algorithm determines the relevant dynamic elements of the system for each phase of motion, and the second algorithm finds the simple mechanism described by the remaining dynamic elements. In addition to greatly simplifying the controller for the system, using simpler mechanisms with similar behaviour provides a greater insight into the dynamics of the system. This is seen in the second stage of the new methodology, which concurrently optimizes the simpler mechanisms together with a control system based on their dynamics. Once the optimal configuration of the simpler system is

  5. ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS OF ANALOG COMPUTERS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bryant, L.T.; Janicke, M.J.; Just, L.C.

    1961-02-01

    Six examples are given of the application of analog computers in the fields of reactor engineering, heat transfer, and dynamics: deceleration of a reactor control rod by dashpot, pressure variations through a packed bed, reactor kinetics over many decades with thermal feedback (simulation of a TREAT transient), vibrating system with two degrees of freedom, temperature distribution in a radiating fin, and temperature distribution in an irfinite slab with variable thermal properties. (D.L.C.)

  6. Workshop on the role of natural analogs in geologic disposal of high-level nuclear waste: Proceedings

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kovach, L.A.; Murphy, W.M.

    1995-09-01

    A Workshop on the Role of Natural Analogs in Geologic Disposal of High-Level Nuclear Waste was held in San Antonio, Texas on July 22--25, 1991. The proceedings comprise seventeen papers submitted by participants at the workshop. A series of papers addresses the relation of natural analog studies to the regulation, performance assessment, and licensing of a geologic repository. Applications of reasoning by analogy are illustrated in papers on the role of natural analogs in studies of earthquakes, petroleum, and mineral exploration. A summary is provided of a recently completed, internationally coordinated natural analog study at Pocos de Caldas, Brazil. Papersmore » also cover problems and applications of natural analog studies in four technical areas of nuclear waste management-. waste form and waste package, near-field processes and environment, far-field processes and environment, and volcanism and tectonics. Summaries of working group deliberations in these four technical areas provide reviews and proposals for natural analog applications. Individual papers have been cataloged separately.« less

  7. Human Health Countermeasures - Partial-Gravity Analogs Workshop

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barr, Yael; Clement, Gilles; Norsk, Peter

    2016-01-01

    The experimental conditions that were deemed the most interesting by the HHC Element lead scientists are those permitting studies of the long-term effects of exposure to (a) chronic rotation when supine or in head down tilt (ground-based); and (b) long-radius centrifugation (space based). It is interesting to note that chronic ground based slow rotation room studies have not been performed since the 1960's, when the USA and USSR were investigating the potential use of AG for long-duration space missions. On the other hand, the other partial gravity analogs, i.e., parabolic flight, HUT, suspension, and short-radius centrifugation, have been regularly used in the last three decades (see review in Clément et al. 2015). Based on the workshop evaluations and the scores by the HHC scientific disciplines indicated in tables 3 and 4, simulation of partial G between 0 and 1 should be prioritized as follows: Priority 1. Chronic space-based partial-G analogs: a. Chronic space-based long-radius centrifugation. The ideal scenario would be chronic long-radius centrifugation of cells, animals and humans in a translational research approach - ideally beyond low earth orbit under deep space environmental effects and at various rotations - to obtain different G-effects. In this scenario, all physiological systems could be evaluated and the relationship between physiological response and G level established. This would be the most integrative way of defining, for the first time ever, G-thresholds for each physiological system. b. Chronic space-based centrifugation of animals. Chronic centrifugation of rodents at various G levels in space would allow for determination of AG thresholds of protection for each physiological system. In this case, all physiological systems will be of interest. Intermittent centrifugation will be of secondary interest. c. Chronic space-based centrifugation of cell cultures (RWV). Bioreactor studies of cells and cell cultures of various tissues at various G

  8. Development of Pantothenate Analogs That Can Treat Combat-Related Infections

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-01-01

    hepatocellular carcinoma cells up to the concentration of 2.5mM (Table 2). On the other hand, compounds MT-181, -349, -353 and -354 showed cytotoxic...generation Pan analogs by the MTT assay Eleven 3rd generation Pan analogs and Hopantenate (Ho-Pan) were tested against human HepG2 hepatocellular ... carcinoma cells to assess their cytotoxicity. The HepG2 cell line was purchased from ATCC (ATCC HB-8065) and cultured in complete Dulbecco’s Modified

  9. Improving Nucleoside Analogs via Lipid Conjugation; Is fatter any better?

    PubMed Central

    Alexander, Peter; Kucera, Gregory; Pardee, Timothy S.

    2016-01-01

    In the past few decades, nucleoside analog drugs have been used to treat a large variety of cancers. These antimetabolite drugs mimic nucleosides and interfere with chain lengthening upon incorporation into the DNA or RNA of actively replicating cells. However, efficient delivery of these drugs is limited due to their pharmacokinetic properties, and tumors often develop drug resistance. In addition, nucleoside analogs are generally hydrophilic, resulting in poor bioavailability and impaired blood-brain barrier penetration. Conjugating these drugs to lipids modifies their pharmacokinetic properties and may improve in vivo efficacy. This review will cover recent advances in the field of conjugation of phospholipids to nucleoside analogs. This includes conjugation of myristic acid, 12-thioethyldodecanoic acid, 5-elaidic acid esters, phosphoramidate, and self-emulsifying formulations. Relevant in vitro and in vivo data will be discussed for each drug, as well as any available data from clinical trials. PMID:26829896

  10. New pyrazolopyridine analogs: Synthesis, antimicrobial, antiquorum-sensing and antitumor screening.

    PubMed

    El-Gohary, N S; Shaaban, M I

    2018-05-25

    New pyrazolopyridine analogs were prepared and tested for antimicrobial efficacy toward Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus. Results revealed that compound 6 has prominent and broad spectrum antimicrobial activity. Compound 8 showed good antibacterial efficacy over the four tested bacterial strains. In addition, compounds 2-4 displayed interesting efficacy over S. aureus, B. cereus and P. aeruginosa as well as moderate efficacy toward E. coli, C. albicans, A. fumigatus and A. flavus. Furthermore, compounds 9 and 10 exhibited interesting efficacy over P. aeruginosa. Antiquorum-sensing efficacy of the same analogs toward Chromobacterium violaceum was also examined, whereas compounds 3, 4 and 6 displayed acceptable activity. In vitro antitumor assay of the new pyrazolopyridines toward liver (HepG2), breast (MCF-7) and cervix (Hela) cancer cells illustrated that compounds 2 and 5 have the highest antitumor activity over the three cell lines. Moreover, compound 4 exhibited interesting efficacy on all tested cell lines, whereas compound 7 showed good activity on MCF-7 cells. The most active in vitro antitumor analogs, 2, 4, 5 and 7 were assessed for in vivo antitumor efficacy on Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells, whereas compound 5 displayed the highest efficacy. In addition, cytotoxicity testing toward W138 and WISH normal cells revealed that all tested analogs are less cytotoxic than doxorubicin. The new analogs were evaluated for DNA-binding affinity, whereas compounds 2, 4 and 5 displayed the highest affinity. In silico studies concluded that all the new pyrazolopyridines are foreseen to have excellent oral absorption. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  11. Screening hybridomas for anabolic androgenic steroids by steroid analog antigen microarray.

    PubMed

    Du, Hongwu; Chen, Guangyu; Bian, Yongzhong; Xing, Cenzan; Ding, Xue; Zhu, Mengliang; Xun, Yiping; Chen, Peng; Zhou, Yabin; Li, Shaoxu

    2015-01-01

    Currently, dozens of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are forbidden in the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List, however, despite extensive investigation, there are still lots of AAS without corresponding monoclonal antibodies. A steroid analog antigen microarray made up of ten AAS was fabricated to screen the hybridoma and it was found an original unsuccessful clone turned out to be a candidate anti-boldenone antibody, without any cross-reactions with endogenous AAS or 44 different AAS standard reference materials tested. Our findings suggested that steroid analog antigen microarray could be a promising tool to screen and characterize new applications of antibodies for structure analogs, and this also exhibits the potential to fast identify effective epitopes of hybridomas in a single assay.

  12. Tuftsin - Properties and Analogs.

    PubMed

    Siebert, Agnieszka; Gensicka-Kowalewska, Monika; Cholewinski, Grzegorz; Dzierzbicka, Krystyna

    2017-11-17

    Immunomodulation is one of the significant therapeutic strategies. It includes both stimulation and suppression of the immune system by a variety of substances called immunomodulators, designed to regulate the immune response of the organism against infections of varying etiology. An example of such a substance is tuftsin (TKPA) 3 (Fig. (1)). In this paper were included tuftsin derivatives, which were described over the years, their together with biological activity and clinical potential. We reviewed a bibliographic database to gather all the important information about the tuftsin peptide. We have delineated the significant information on the activity of the tetrapeptide itself and its derivatives. Analogs were divided because of their anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and anti-viral activity. This paper describes eighty-six documents. Thirty-two of them concern on activity of tuftsin in the human organism. The remaining fifty-four describe peptide analogues and their properties, including eleven papers about the tuftsin-based peptides contained in the vaccines, nine papers representing anticancer activity of the tuftsin derivatives, twenty-six about antiinflammatory compounds, and five papers describing the antitumor activity of the tuftsin analogs. The findings of this review confirm the importance of the tuftsin and their derivatives. Most of these substances showed anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory or antibacterial activities. A large amount of the compounds may find use in vaccines. Tuftsin can also be used to prepare fusion proteins in the treatment of cancer and as carriers of many biologically active substances. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  13. A serendipitous discovery of antifreeze protein-specific activity in C-linked antifreeze glycoprotein analogs.

    PubMed

    Eniade, Adewale; Purushotham, Madhusudhan; Ben, Robert N; Wang, J B; Horwath, Kathleen

    2003-01-01

    Structurally diverse carbon-linked (C-linked) analogs of antifreeze glycoprotein (AFGP) have been prepared via linear or convergent solid phase synthesis. These analogs range in molecular weight from approx 1.5-4.1 KDa and do not possess the beta-D-galactose-1,3-alpha-D-N-acetylgalactosamine carbohydrate moiety or the L-threonine-L-alanine-L-alanine polypeptide backbone native to the AFGP wild-type. Despite these dramatic structural modifications, the 2.7-KDa and 4.1-KDa analogs possess antifreeze protein-specific activity as determined by recrystallization-inhibition (RI) and thermal hysteresis (TH) assays. These analogs are weaker than the wild-type in their activity, but nanoliter osmometry indicates that these compounds are binding to ice and affecting a localized freezing point depression. This is the first example of a C-linked AFGP analog that possesses TH and RI activity and suggests that the rational design and synthesis of chemically and biologically stable AFGP analogs is a feasible and worthwhile endeavor. Given the low degree of TH activity, these compounds may prove useful for the protection of cells during freezing and thawing cycles.

  14. The impact of analogies on creative concept generation: lessons from an in vivo study in engineering design.

    PubMed

    Chan, Joel; Schunn, Christian

    2015-01-01

    Research on innovation often highlights analogies from sources outside the current problem domain as a major source of novel concepts; however, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are not well understood. We analyzed the temporal interplay between far analogy use and creative concept generation in a professional design team's brainstorming conversations, investigating the hypothesis that far analogies lead directly to very novel concepts via large steps in conceptual spaces (jumps). Surprisingly, we found that concepts were more similar to their preceding concepts after far analogy use compared to baseline situations (i.e., without far analogy use). Yet far analogies increased the team's concept generation rate compared to baseline conditions. Overall, these results challenge the view that far analogies primarily lead to novel concepts via jumps in conceptual spaces and suggest alternative pathways from far analogies to novel concepts (e.g., iterative, deep exploration within a functional space). Copyright © 2014 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  15. Transitioning from analog to digital audio recording in childhood speech sound disorders.

    PubMed

    Shriberg, Lawrence D; McSweeny, Jane L; Anderson, Bruce E; Campbell, Thomas F; Chial, Michael R; Green, Jordan R; Hauner, Katherina K; Moore, Christopher A; Rusiewicz, Heather L; Wilson, David L

    2005-06-01

    Few empirical findings or technical guidelines are available on the current transition from analog to digital audio recording in childhood speech sound disorders. Of particular concern in the present context was whether a transition from analog- to digital-based transcription and coding of prosody and voice features might require re-standardizing a reference database for research in childhood speech sound disorders. Two research transcribers with different levels of experience glossed, transcribed, and prosody-voice coded conversational speech samples from eight children with mild to severe speech disorders of unknown origin. The samples were recorded, stored, and played back using representative analog and digital audio systems. Effect sizes calculated for an array of analog versus digital comparisons ranged from negligible to medium, with a trend for participants' speech competency scores to be slightly lower for samples obtained and transcribed using the digital system. We discuss the implications of these and other findings for research and clinical practise.

  16. Transitioning from analog to digital audio recording in childhood speech sound disorders

    PubMed Central

    Shriberg, Lawrence D.; McSweeny, Jane L.; Anderson, Bruce E.; Campbell, Thomas F.; Chial, Michael R.; Green, Jordan R.; Hauner, Katherina K.; Moore, Christopher A.; Rusiewicz, Heather L.; Wilson, David L.

    2014-01-01

    Few empirical findings or technical guidelines are available on the current transition from analog to digital audio recording in childhood speech sound disorders. Of particular concern in the present context was whether a transition from analog- to digital-based transcription and coding of prosody and voice features might require re-standardizing a reference database for research in childhood speech sound disorders. Two research transcribers with different levels of experience glossed, transcribed, and prosody-voice coded conversational speech samples from eight children with mild to severe speech disorders of unknown origin. The samples were recorded, stored, and played back using representative analog and digital audio systems. Effect sizes calculated for an array of analog versus digital comparisons ranged from negligible to medium, with a trend for participants’ speech competency scores to be slightly lower for samples obtained and transcribed using the digital system. We discuss the implications of these and other findings for research and clinical practise. PMID:16019779

  17. On the impact of approximate computation in an analog DeSTIN architecture.

    PubMed

    Young, Steven; Lu, Junjie; Holleman, Jeremy; Arel, Itamar

    2014-05-01

    Deep machine learning (DML) holds the potential to revolutionize machine learning by automating rich feature extraction, which has become the primary bottleneck of human engineering in pattern recognition systems. However, the heavy computational burden renders DML systems implemented on conventional digital processors impractical for large-scale problems. The highly parallel computations required to implement large-scale deep learning systems are well suited to custom hardware. Analog computation has demonstrated power efficiency advantages of multiple orders of magnitude relative to digital systems while performing nonideal computations. In this paper, we investigate typical error sources introduced by analog computational elements and their impact on system-level performance in DeSTIN--a compositional deep learning architecture. These inaccuracies are evaluated on a pattern classification benchmark, clearly demonstrating the robustness of the underlying algorithm to the errors introduced by analog computational elements. A clear understanding of the impacts of nonideal computations is necessary to fully exploit the efficiency of analog circuits.

  18. Hands Together! An Analog Clock Problem

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Earnest, Darrell; Radtke, Susan; Scott, Siri

    2017-01-01

    In this article, the authors first present the Hands Together! task. The mathematics in this problem concerns the relationship of hour and minute durations as reflected in the oft-overlooked proportional movements of the two hands of an analog clock. The authors go on to discuss the importance of problem solving in general. They then consider…

  19. Retained sensitivity to cytotoxic pyrimidine nucleoside analogs in thymidine kinase 2 deficient human fibroblasts.

    PubMed

    Bjerke, Mia; Solaroli, Nicola; Lesko, Nicole; Balzarini, Jan; Johansson, Magnus; Karlsson, Anna

    2010-01-01

    Thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) is a mitochondrial deoxyribonucleoside kinase that phosphorylates several nucleoside analogs used in anti-viral and anti-cancer therapy. A fibroblast cell line with decreased TK2 activity was investigated in order to obtain insights in the effects of TK2 deficiency on nucleotide metabolism. The role of TK2 for the sensitivity against cytotoxic nucleoside analogs was also investigated. The TK2 deficient cells retained their sensitivity against all pyrimidine nucleoside analogs tested. This study suggests that nucleoside analog phosphorylation mediated by TK2 may be less important, compared to other deoxyribonucleoside kinases, for the cytotoxic effects of these compounds.

  20. Social Analogical Reasoning in School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Typically Developing Peers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Adam E.; Kenworthy, Lauren; Gallagher, Natalie M.; Antezana, Ligia; Mosner, Maya G.; Krieg, Samantha; Dudley, Katherina; Ratto, Allison; Yerys, Benjamin E.

    2017-01-01

    Analogical reasoning is an important mechanism for social cognition in typically developing children, and recent evidence suggests that some forms of analogical reasoning may be preserved in autism spectrum disorder. An unanswered question is whether children with autism spectrum disorder can apply analogical reasoning to social information. In…

  1. A synthetic kisspeptin analog that triggers ovulation and advances puberty

    PubMed Central

    Decourt, C.; Robert, V.; Anger, K.; Galibert, M.; Madinier, J.-B.; Liu, X.; Dardente, H.; Lomet, D.; Delmas, A. F.; Caraty, A.; Herbison, A. E.; Anderson, G. M; Aucagne, V.; Beltramo, M.

    2016-01-01

    The neuropeptide kisspeptin and its receptor, KiSS1R, govern the reproductive timeline of mammals by triggering puberty onset and promoting ovulation by stimulating gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion. To overcome the drawback of kisspeptin short half-life we designed kisspeptin analogs combining original modifications, triazole peptidomimetic and albumin binding motif, to reduce proteolytic degradation and to slow down renal clearance, respectively. These analogs showed improved in vitro potency and dramatically enhanced pharmacodynamics. When injected intramuscularly into ewes (15 nmol/ewe) primed with a progestogen, the best analog (compound 6, C6) induced synchronized ovulations in both breeding and non-breeding seasons. Ovulations were fertile as demonstrated by the delivery of lambs at term. C6 was also fully active in both female and male mice but was completely inactive in KiSS1R KO mice. Electrophysiological recordings of GnRH neurons from brain slices of GnRH-GFP mice indicated that C6 exerted a direct excitatory action on GnRH neurons. Finally, in prepubertal female mice daily injections (0.3 nmol/mouse) for five days significantly advanced puberty. C6 ability to trigger ovulation and advance puberty demonstrates that kisspeptin analogs may find application in the management of livestock reproduction and opens new possibilities for the treatment of reproductive disorders in humans. PMID:27245315

  2. Synthesis and biological evaluation of largazole zinc-binding group analogs.

    PubMed

    Kim, Bumki; Ratnayake, Ranjala; Lee, Hyunji; Shi, Guqin; Zeller, Sabrina L; Li, Chenglong; Luesch, Hendrik; Hong, Jiyong

    2017-06-15

    Histone acetylation is an extensively investigated post-translational modification that plays an important role as an epigenetic regulator. It is controlled by histone acetyl transferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). The overexpression of HDACs and consequent hypoacetylation of histones have been observed in a variety of different diseases, leading to a recent focus of HDACs as attractive drug targets. The natural product largazole is one of the most potent natural HDAC inhibitors discovered so far and a number of largazole analogs have been prepared to define structural requirements for its HDAC inhibitory activity. However, previous structure-activity relationship studies have heavily investigated the macrocycle region of largazole, while there have been only limited efforts to probe the effect of various zinc-binding groups (ZBGs) on HDAC inhibition. Herein, we prepared a series of largazole analogs with various ZBGs and evaluated their HDAC inhibition and cytotoxicity. While none of the analogs tested were as potent or selective as largazole, the Zn 2+ -binding affinity of each ZBG correlated with HDAC inhibition and cytotoxicity. We expect that our findings will aid in building a deeper understanding of the role of ZBGs in HDAC inhibition as well as provide an important basis for the future development of new largazole analogs with non-thiol ZBGs as novel therapeutics for cancer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Spectroscopy and reactivity of mineral analogs of the Martian soil

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Banin, A.; Orenberg, J.; Roush, T.

    1991-01-01

    To answer the question of why life occurred on Earth but not on Mars requires a study of the geochemical and physical aspects of the Martian soil. Some of the best Mars analog mineral models of the soil have been prepared and justified according to known constraints of chemical composition, reflectance spectroscopy, and chemical reactivity. Detailed laboratory reflectance spectra in the ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared (.30 to 2.5 microns) and the infrared (2.5 to 25 microns) regions have been obtained for the pure candidate minerals and some analog mixtures and compared to Mars reflectance spectra. Modeling of the reflectance spectra from optical constraints determined for the analog minerals has begun and will be interpreted in terms of the effects of particle size variation, component mixing, and soil packing upon remotely sensed reflectance spectra. This has implications not only for Mars, but for other planets and planetoids. The ratio of Fe(II)/Fe(III) in the Martian soil analog materials on spectral reflectance in the visible range has begun, and the results will be evaluated according to conformity with the visible Mars reflectance spectrum. Some initial LR and GEX data have been collected for the mineral samples and their mixtures, which can be compared with the Viking data and interpreted in terms of the redox (Fe(II)/Fe(III) environment.

  4. Analog Computation by DNA Strand Displacement Circuits.

    PubMed

    Song, Tianqi; Garg, Sudhanshu; Mokhtar, Reem; Bui, Hieu; Reif, John

    2016-08-19

    DNA circuits have been widely used to develop biological computing devices because of their high programmability and versatility. Here, we propose an architecture for the systematic construction of DNA circuits for analog computation based on DNA strand displacement. The elementary gates in our architecture include addition, subtraction, and multiplication gates. The input and output of these gates are analog, which means that they are directly represented by the concentrations of the input and output DNA strands, respectively, without requiring a threshold for converting to Boolean signals. We provide detailed domain designs and kinetic simulations of the gates to demonstrate their expected performance. On the basis of these gates, we describe how DNA circuits to compute polynomial functions of inputs can be built. Using Taylor Series and Newton Iteration methods, functions beyond the scope of polynomials can also be computed by DNA circuits built upon our architecture.

  5. Design, Synthesis and Biological Activities of Novel Gemini 20S-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Analogs

    PubMed Central

    LIN, ZONGTAO; MAREPALLY, SRINIVASA R.; KIM, TAE-KANG; JANJETOVIC, ZORICA; OAK, ALLEN SW.; POSTLETHWAITE, ARNOLD E.; MYERS, LINDA K.; TUCKEY, ROBERT C.; SLOMINSKI, ANDRZEJ T.; MILLER, DUANE D.; LI, WEI

    2017-01-01

    Vitamin D3 (D3) can be metabolized by cytochrome P450scc (CYP11A1) into 20S-hydroxyvitamin D3 (20D3) as a major metabolite. This bioactive metabolite has shown strong antiproliferative, antifibrotic, pro-differentiation and anti-inflammatory effects while being non-toxic (non-calcemic) at high concentrations. Since D3 analogs with two symmetric side chains (Gemini analogs) result in potent activation of the vitamin D receptor (VDR), we hypothesized that the chain length and composition of these types of analogs also containing a 20-hydroxyl group would affect their biological activities. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of Gemini 20D3 analogs. Biological tests showed that some of these analogs are partial VDR activators and can significantly stimulate the expression of mRNA for VDR and VDR-regulated genes including CYP24A1 and transient receptor potential cation channel V6 (TRPV6). These analogs inhibited the proliferation of melanoma cells with potency comparable to that of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Moreover, these analogs reduced the level of interferon γ and up-regulated the expression of leukocyte associated immunoglobulin-like receptor 1 in splenocytes, indicating that they have potent anti-inflammatory activities. There are no clear correlations between the Gemini chain length and their VDR activation or biological activities, consistent with the high flexibility of the ligand-binding pocket of the VDR. PMID:26976974

  6. Impact of Self-Explanation and Analogical Comparison Support on Learning Processes, Motivation, Metacognition, and Transfer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richey, J. Elizabeth

    Research examining analogical comparison and self-explanation has produced a robust set of findings about learning and transfer supported by each instructional technique. However, it is unclear how the types of knowledge generated through each technique differ, which has important implications for cognitive theory as well as instructional practice. I conducted a pair of experiments to directly compare the effects of instructional prompts supporting self-explanation, analogical comparison, and the study of instructional explanations across a number of fine-grained learning process, motivation, metacognition, and transfer measures. Experiment 1 explored these questions using sequence extrapolation problems, and results showed no differences between self-explanation and analogical comparison support conditions on any measure. Experiment 2 explored the same questions in a science domain. I evaluated condition effects on transfer outcomes; self-reported self-explanation, analogical comparison, and metacognitive processes; and achievement goals. I also examined relations between transfer and self-reported processes and goals. Receiving materials with analogical comparison support and reporting greater levels of analogical comparison were both associated with worse transfer performance, while reporting greater levels of self-explanation was associated with better performance. Learners' self-reports of self-explanation and analogical comparison were not related to condition assignment, suggesting that the questionnaires did not measure the same processes promoted by the intervention, or that individual differences in processing are robust even when learners are instructed to engage in self-explanation or analogical comparison.

  7. Sol-Gel Synthesis and Crystallization of Magnesium and Calcium Rich Silicate Dust Analogs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gillot, J.; Roskosz, M.; Depecker, C.; Roussel, P.; Leroux, H.

    2009-03-01

    A new sol-gel method optimized to synthesize amorphous and porous silicate dust analogs is proposed. The crystallization of such analogs is metastable and polyphasic. Their high reactivity is probably due to high surface/volume ratio.

  8. Optoelectronic advancements in analog avionics networking systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilgus, Joseph S.

    1996-12-01

    Over the past two decades, the types of networks used in both commercial and military systems to route information throughout a designated platform have essentially remained unchanged. Traditionally, digital networks have been used to route low data rate, low-bandwidth signals usually not exceeding 2 Ghz, amongst a variety of sensors, digital and signal processors and video displays. On the other hand, analog networks have been responsible for routing broad- banded radio-frequency signals, those ranging from 2 Ghz to well beyond 100 Ghz, between a specific antenna aperture and its designated receiver type. Current analog systems use one of either two approaches to transfer this signal information. The first approach uses microwave waveguides. This design is very efficient, albeit bulky, and has typically been used in ground-based systems. HOwever, it does not lend itself very well to airborne platforms where size and weight constraint are of primary concern. The second approach uses coaxial cable, which tends to exhibit excessive loss at higher frequencies and is much heavier than optical fiber. Like its counterpart the microwave waveguide, it too is not ideally suited for airborne platforms. However, up to now it has been the technology of choice for this particular application. This has led to other alternatives to be sought. With recent advancements being made in optoelectronics, optical fiber is becoming a viable alternative to the above mentioned approaches. It is the intent of this paper to identify airborne applications for photonic technology in analog networks and discuss the needed building blocks to implement this particular type of system.

  9. Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of a cyclic analog of dolastatin 10.

    PubMed

    Poncet, J; Hortala, L; Busquet, M; Guéritte-Voegelein, F; Thoret, S; Pierré, A; Atassi, G; Jouin, P

    1998-10-20

    A cyclic analog of the natural antiproliferative compound dolastatin 10 was synthesized by introducing an ester link between the N- and C-terminal residues which were modified accordingly. The final macrolactonization was performed by using isopropenyl chloroformate and DMAP as reagents. This analog exhibits submicromolar antiproliferative activity against the L1210 and HT29 cell lines and inhibits in vitro tubulin polymerization (IC50, 39 microM).

  10. Transitioning from Analog to Digital Audio Recording in Childhood Speech Sound Disorders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shriberg, Lawrence D.; Mcsweeny, Jane L.; Anderson, Bruce E.; Campbell, Thomas F.; Chial, Michael R.; Green, Jordan R.; Hauner, Katherina K.; Moore, Christopher A.; Rusiewicz, Heather L.; Wilson, David L.

    2005-01-01

    Few empirical findings or technical guidelines are available on the current transition from analog to digital audio recording in childhood speech sound disorders. Of particular concern in the present context was whether a transition from analog- to digital-based transcription and coding of prosody and voice features might require re-standardizing…

  11. Analogical Scaffolding and the Learning of Abstract Ideas in Physics: Empirical Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Podolefsky, Noah S.; Finkelstein, Noah D.

    2007-01-01

    Previously, we proposed a model of student reasoning which combines the roles of representation, analogy, and layering of meaning--analogical scaffolding [Podolefsky and Finkelstein, Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 3, 010109 (2007)]. The present empirical studies build on this model to examine its utility and demonstrate the vital intertwining of…

  12. Strigolactone analogs derived from ketones using a working model for germination stimulants as a blueprint.

    PubMed

    Mwakaboko, Alinanuswe S; Zwanenburg, Binne

    2011-04-01

    Strigolactones are important signaling compounds in the plant kingdom. Here we focus on their germination stimulatory effect on seeds of the parasitic weeds Striga and Orobanche spp. and more particularly on the design and synthesis of new active strigolactone analogs derived from simple cyclic ketones. New analogs derived from 1-indanone, 1-tetralone, cyclopentanone, cyclohexanone and a series of substituted cyclohexanones (including carvone and pulegone) are prepared by formylation of the ketones with ethyl formate followed by coupling with a halo butenolide. Both enantiomers of the analog derived from 1-tetralone have been prepared by employing a homochiral synthon for the coupling reaction. For three other strigolactone analogs the antipodes have been obtained by chromatography on a chiral column. All analogs have an appreciable germinating activity towards seeds of Striga hermomonthica and Orobanche crenata and O. cernua. Stereoisomers having the same configuration at the D-ring as in naturally occurring strigol have a higher stimulatory effect than the corresponding antipodes. The analogs obtained from 1-indanone and 1-tetralone have an activity comparable with that of the well known stimulant GR 24. Analogs derived from 2-phenyl-cylohexanone, carvone and pulegone also have a good germinating response. The results show that the working model for designing new bioactive strigolactones is applicable.

  13. Analogical Scaffolding and the Learning of Abstract Ideas in Physics: An Example from Electromagnetic Waves

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Podolefsky, Noah S.; Finkelstein, Noah D.

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes a model of analogy, analogical scaffolding, which explains present and prior results of student learning with analogies. We build on prior models of representation, blending, and layering of ideas. Extending this model's explanatory power, we propose ways in which the model can be applied to design a curriculum directed at…

  14. Analogical Reasoning as a Mechanism in Knowledge Acquisition: A Developmental Perspective. Technical Report No. 438.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vosniadou, Stella

    Analogical reasoning is one mechanism that has been recognized as having the potential of bringing prior knowledge to bear on the acquisition of new information. Analogical reasoning involves the identification and transfer of structural information from a known system to a new and relatively unknown system. The productive use of analogy is often…

  15. The Lenz Vector and Orbital Analog Computers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harter, W. G.

    1976-01-01

    Describes a single geometrical diagram based on the Lenz vector which shows the qualitative and quantitative features of all three types of Coulomb orbits. Explains the use of a simple analog computer with an overhead projector to demonstrate many of these effects. (Author/CP)

  16. Experiments in Sound and Structural Vibrations Using an Air-Analog Model Ducted Propulsion System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-08-01

    Department of Aerospace S~and Mechanical Engineering I 20070904056 I EXPERIMENTS IN SOUND AND STRUCTURAL VIBRATIONS USING AN AIR -ANALOG MODEL DUCTED...SOUND AND STRUCTURAL * VIBRATIONS USING AN AIR -ANALOG MODEL DUCTED PROPULSION SYSTEM FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT Prepared by: Scott C. Morris Assistant...Vibration Using Air - 5b. GRANT NUMBER Analog Model Ducted Propulsion Systems N00014-1-0522 5C. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER

  17. OCTN1 is a high-affinity carrier of nucleoside analogs

    PubMed Central

    Drenberg, Christina D.; Gibson, Alice A.; Pounds, Stanley B.; Shi, Lei; Rhinehart, Dena P.; Li, Lie; Hu, Shuiying; Du, Guoqing; Nies, Anne T.; Schwab, Matthias; Pabla, Navjotsingh; Blum, William; Gruber, Tanja A.; Baker, Sharyn D.; Sparreboom, Alex

    2017-01-01

    Resistance to xenobiotic nucleosides used to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other cancers remains a major obstacle to clinical management. One process suggested to participate in resistance is reduced uptake into tumor cells via nucleoside transporters, although precise mechanisms are not understood. Through transcriptomic profiling, we determined that low expression of the ergothioneine transporter OCTN1 (SLC22A4; ETT) strongly predicts poor event-free survival and overall survival in multiple cohorts of AML patients receiving treatment with the cytidine nucleoside analog cytarabine. Cell biological studies confirmed OCTN1-mediated transport of cytarabine and various structurally-related cytidine analogs, such as 2′deoxycytidine and gemcitabine, occurs through a saturable process that is highly sensitive to inhibition by the classic nucleoside transporter inhibitors dipyridamole and nitrobenzylmercaptopurine ribonucleoside (NBMPR). Our findings have immediate clinical implications given the potential of the identified transport system to help refine strategies that could improve patient survival across multiple cancer types where nucleoside analogs are used in cancer treatment. PMID:28209616

  18. Evaluating The Global Inventory of Planetary Analog Environments on Earth: An Ontological Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conrad, P. G.

    2010-12-01

    Introduction: Field sites on Earth are routinely used to simulate planetary environments so that we can try to understand the evidence of processes such as sedimentary deposition, weathering, evolution of habitable environments, and behavior of spacecraft and instrumentation prior to selection of mission architectures, payload investigations and landing sites for in situ exploration of other planets. The rapid evolution of astrobiology science drivers for space exploration as well as increasing capability to explore planetary surfaces in situ has led to a proliferation of declarations that various Earth environments are analogs for less accessible planetary environments. We have not yet progressed to standardized measures of analog fidelity, and the analog value of field sites can be variable de-pending upon a variety of factors. Here we present a method of evaluating the fidelity and hence utility of analog environments by using an ontological approach to evaluating how well the analogs work. The use of ontologies as specification constructs is now quite common in artificial intelligence, systems engineering, business development and various informatics systems. We borrow from these developments just as they derive from the original use of ontology in philosophy, where it was meant as a systematic approach to describing the fundamental elements that define “being,” or existence [1]. An ontology is a framework for the specification of a concept or domain of interest. The knowledge regarding that domain, eg., inventory of objects, hierarchical classes, relationships and functions is what describes and defines the domain as a declarative formalism [2]. In the case of planetary environments, one can define a list of fundamen-tal attributes without which the domain (environment) in question must be defined (classified) otherwise. In particu-lar this is problematic when looking at ancient environments because of their alteration over time. In other words, their

  19. Fluid Intelligence Allows Flexible Recruitment of the Parieto-Frontal Network in Analogical Reasoning

    PubMed Central

    Preusse, Franziska; Elke, van der Meer; Deshpande, Gopikrishna; Krueger, Frank; Wartenburger, Isabell

    2011-01-01

    Fluid intelligence is the ability to think flexibly and to understand abstract relations. People with high fluid intelligence (hi-fluIQ) perform better in analogical reasoning tasks than people with average fluid intelligence (ave-fluIQ). Although previous neuroimaging studies reported involvement of parietal and frontal brain regions in geometric analogical reasoning (which is a prototypical task for fluid intelligence), however, neuroimaging findings on geometric analogical reasoning in hi-fluIQ are sparse. Furthermore, evidence on the relation between brain activation and intelligence while solving cognitive tasks is contradictory. The present study was designed to elucidate the cerebral correlates of geometric analogical reasoning in a sample of hi-fluIQ and ave-fluIQ high school students. We employed a geometric analogical reasoning task with graded levels of task difficulty and confirmed the involvement of the parieto-frontal network in solving this task. In addition to characterizing the brain regions involved in geometric analogical reasoning in hi-fluIQ and ave-fluIQ, we found that blood oxygenation level dependency (BOLD) signal changes were greater for hi-fluIQ than for ave-fluIQ in parietal brain regions. However, ave-fluIQ showed greater BOLD signal changes in the anterior cingulate cortex and medial frontal gyrus than hi-fluIQ. Thus, we showed that a similar network of brain regions is involved in geometric analogical reasoning in both groups. Interestingly, the relation between brain activation and intelligence is not mono-directional, but rather, it is specific for each brain region. The negative brain activation–intelligence relationship in frontal brain regions in hi-fluIQ goes along with a better behavioral performance and reflects a lower demand for executive monitoring compared to ave-fluIQ individuals. In conclusion, our data indicate that flexibly modulating the extent of regional cerebral activity is characteristic for fluid intelligence

  20. Using analogy to learn about phenomena at scales outside human perception.

    PubMed

    Resnick, Ilyse; Davatzes, Alexandra; Newcombe, Nora S; Shipley, Thomas F

    2017-01-01

    Understanding and reasoning about phenomena at scales outside human perception (for example, geologic time) is critical across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Thus, devising strong methods to support acquisition of reasoning at such scales is an important goal in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. In two experiments, we examine the use of analogical principles in learning about geologic time. Across both experiments we find that using a spatial analogy (for example, a time line) to make multiple alignments, and keeping all unrelated components of the analogy held constant (for example, keep the time line the same length), leads to better understanding of the magnitude of geologic time. Effective approaches also include hierarchically and progressively aligning scale information (Experiment 1) and active prediction in making alignments paired with immediate feedback (Experiments 1 and 2).