Development of secondary palate requires strict regulation of ECM remodeling: sequential distribution of RECK, MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9

We have evaluated RECK (reversion-inducing-cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs), MMP-2 (matrix metalloproteinase-2), MMP-3, and MMP-9 involvement during palate development in mice by using various techniques. Immunohistochemical features revealed the distribution of RECK, MMP-2, and MMP-3 in the mesenchymal tissue and in the midline epithelial seam at embryonic day 13 (E13), MMPs-2, -3, and -9 being particularly expressed at E14 and E14.5. In contrast, RECK was weakly immunostained at these times. Involvement of MMPs was validated by measuring not only their protein expression, but also their activity (zymograms). In situ hybridization signal (ISH) for RECK transcript was distributed in mesenchymal and epithelial regions within palatal shelves at all periods evaluated. Importantly, the results from ISH analysis were in accord with those obtained by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The expression of RECK was found to be temporally regulated, which suggested possible roles in palatal ontogeny. Taken together, our results clearly show that remodeling of the extracellular matrix is finely modulated during secondary palate development and occurs in a sequential manner.

Water quality in six sequentially disposed fishponds with continuous water flow

This study evaluated selected limnological variables in inlet water in six sequentially distributed semi-intensive fishponds. Data were collected during 15 consecutive days in three distinct grow-out periods (May, October and January). Only phosphorus and pH varied among sites and periods (p < 0.01); the opposite (p > 0.05) occurred in the cases of nitrite and dissolved oxygen. No variation was reported with regard to dissolved oxygen, conductivity, alkalinity, free CO2, bicarbonate, chlorophyll-a, nitrite and ammonia did not vary throughout the period (p > 0.05). In May, or rather, the final grow-out period, the fishponds displayed high concentrations, mainly in nitrogen compounds. As from fishpond 3, the inlet water contained high levels of nutrients. The water is passed from pond to pond, evidencing the need for management practices adequate to the specific conditions of each pond. Water quality should be monitored more frequently during high grow-out period when food addition is more intense. Thereafter, more care should be taken, as highest phosphorus concentrations occurred in May.

Modeling for performance analysis of electromagnetic zero-sequence suppressor

The purpose of this work is to present a frequency domain model to demonstrate the operation of an electromagnetic arrangement for controlling the injection of zero-sequence currents in the electrical system. Considering the diversity of sequential distribution of harmonic components of a current, the device proposed can be used in the process of mitigation of zero-sequence components. This device, here called electromagnetic suppressor, consists of a blocker and filter both electromagnetic, whose joint operation can provide paths of high and low impedances that can be conveniently adjusted in order to search for a desired performance. This study presents physical considerations, mathematical modeling and computer simulations that clearly demonstrate the viability of this application as a more viable alternative in the conception of filtering systems. The performance analysis is based on the frequency response of harmonic transmittances. The efficacy of this technique in direct actions to maximize the harmonic mitigation process is demonstrated. ©2010 IEEE.

Experimental analysis and adherence test of the electromagnetic zero-sequence blocking model

This paper reveals new contributions to the analysis and development of mitigating harmonic distortion devices. Considering the variety of sequential distribution of harmonic current, in the use of passive filters, one can point out the electromagnetic blocking device, which have received particular attention due to its robustness and low cost of installation. In this context, aiming the evaluation of the reliability of the results obtained through mathematical modeling, experimental tests are carried out using a low-power prototype, highlighting particular aspects related to its function as a zero-sequence harmonic blocking. © 2011 IEEE.

Supressor eletromagnético de componentes harmônicas de sequência zero

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

(Figure 1 and 2) Phosphorus pools in the investigated sediments quantified by SEDEX sequential extraction and distribution of recovered 33P spike between sedimentary P pools after incubation

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for life. In the ocean, phosphorus burial regulates marine primary production**1, 2. Phosphorus is removed from the ocean by sedimentation of organic matter, and the subsequent conversion of organic phosphorus to phosphate minerals such as apatite, and ultimately phosphorite deposits**3, 4. Bacteria are thought to mediate these processes**5, but the mechanism of sequestration has remained unclear. Here, we present results from laboratory incubations in which we labelled organic-rich sediments from the Benguela upwelling system, Namibia, with a 33P-radiotracer, and tracked the fate of the phosphorus. We show that under both anoxic and oxic conditions, large sulphide-oxidizing bacteria accumulate 33P in their cells, and catalyse the nearly instantaneous conversion of phosphate to apatite. Apatite formation was greatest under anoxic conditions. Nutrient analyses of Namibian upwelling waters and sediments suggest that the rate of phosphate-to-apatite conversion beneath anoxic bottom waters exceeds the rate of phosphorus release during organic matter mineralization in the upper sediment layers. We suggest that bacterial apatite formation is a significant phosphorus sink under anoxic bottom-water conditions. Expanding oxygen minimum zones are projected in simulations of future climate change**6, potentially increasing sequestration of marine phosphate, and restricting marine productivity.

Fitting phase type distribution to service process with sequential phases

The work of this thesis is concerned with fitting Hypo-exponential and Erlang phase type distributions for modeling real life processes with non-exponential service time. There exist situations where exponential distributions cannot explain the distribution of service time properly. This thesis presents the application of two traditional statistical estimation techniques to approximate the service distributions of processes with coefficient of variation less than one. It also presents an algorithm to fit Hypo-exponential distribution for complex situations which can’t be handled properly with traditional estimation techniques. The result shows the effect of variation of sample size and other parameters on the efficiency of the estimation techniques by comparing their respective outputs. Furthermore it checks how accurately the proposed algorithm approximates a given distribution.

Transdimensional sequential Monte Carlo using variational Bayes — SMCVB

A new transdimensional Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) algorithm called SM- CVB is proposed. In an SMC approach, a weighted sample of particles is generated from a sequence of probability distributions which ‘converge’ to the target distribution of interest, in this case a Bayesian posterior distri- bution. The approach is based on the use of variational Bayes to propose new particles at each iteration of the SMCVB algorithm in order to target the posterior more efficiently. The variational-Bayes-generated proposals are not limited to a fixed dimension. This means that the weighted particle sets that arise can have varying dimensions thereby allowing us the option to also estimate an appropriate dimension for the model. This novel algorithm is outlined within the context of finite mixture model estimation. This pro- vides a less computationally demanding alternative to using reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo kernels within an SMC approach. We illustrate these ideas in a simulated data analysis and in applications.

A Fuzzy Approximation Scheme for Sequential Learning in Pattern Recognition

An adaptive learning scheme, based on a fuzzy approximation to the gradient descent method for training a pattern classifier using unlabeled samples, is described. The objective function defined for the fuzzy ISODATA clustering procedure is used as the loss function for computing the gradient. Learning is based on simultaneous fuzzy decisionmaking and estimation. It uses conditional fuzzy measures on unlabeled samples. An exponential membership function is assumed for each class, and the parameters constituting these membership functions are estimated, using the gradient, in a recursive fashion. The induced possibility of occurrence of each class is useful for estimation and is computed using 1) the membership of the new sample in that class and 2) the previously computed average possibility of occurrence of the same class. An inductive entropy measure is defined in terms of induced possibility distribution to measure the extent of learning. The method is illustrated with relevant examples.

A sequential analysis of "nú" and "núna" in Icelandic conversation

This thesis is an empirical study of how two words in Icelandic, "nú" and "núna", are used in contemporary Icelandic conversation. My aims in this study are, first, to explain the differences between the temporal functions of "nú" and "núna", and, second, to describe the non-temporal functions of "nú". In the analysis, a focus is placed on comparing the sequential placement of the two words, on their syntactical distribution, and on their prosodic realization. The empirical data comprise 14 hours and 11 minutes of naturally occurring conversation recorded between 1996 and 2003. The selected conversations represent a wide range of interactional contexts including informal dinner parties, institutional and non-institutional telephone conversations, radio programs for teenagers, phone-in programs, and, finally, a political debate on television. The theoretical and methodological framework is interactional linguistics, which can be described as linguistically oriented conversation analysis (CA). A comparison of "nú" and "núna" shows that the two words have different syntactic distributions. "Nú" has a clear tendency to occur in the front field, before the finite verb, while "núna" typically occurs in the end field, after the object. It is argued that this syntactic difference reflects a functional difference between "nú" and "núna". A sequential analysis of "núna" shows that the word refers to an unspecified period of time which includes the utterance time as well as some time in the past and in the future. This temporal relation is referred to as reference time. "Nú", by contrast, is mainly used in three different environments: a) in temporal comparisons, 2) in transitions, and 3) when the speaker is taking an affective stance. The non-temporal functions of "nú" are divided into three categories: a) "nú" as a tone particle, 2) "nú" as an utterance particle, and 3) "nú" as a dialogue particle. "Nú" as a tone particle is syntactically integrated and can occur in two syntactic positions: pre-verbally and post-verbally. I argue that these instances are employed in utterances in which a speaker is foregrounding information or marking it as particularly important. The study shows that, although these instances are typically prosodically non-prominent and unstressed, they are in some cases delivered with stress and with a higher pitch than the surrounding talk. "Nú" as an utterance particle occurs turn-initially and is syntactically non-integrated. By using "nú", speakers show continuity between turns and link new turns to prior ones. These instances initiate either continuations by the same speaker or new turns after speaker shifts. "Nú" as a dialogue particle occurs as a turn of its own. The study shows that these instances register informings in prior turns as unexpected or as a departure from the normal state of affairs. "Nú" as a dialogue particle is often delivered with a prolonged vowel and a recognizable intonation contour. A comparative sequential and prosodic analysis shows that in these cases there is a correlation between the function of "nú" and the intonation contour by which it is delivered. Finally, I argue that despite the many functions of "nú", all the instances can be said to have a common denominator, which is to display attention towards the present moment and the utterances which are produced prior or after the production of "nú". Instead of anchoring the utterances in external time or reference time, these instances position the utterance in discourse internal time, or discourse time.

Inflammation-driven bone formation in a mouse model of ankylosing spondylitis: Sequential not parallel processes

Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an immune-mediated arthritis particularly targeting the spine and pelvis and is characterised by inflammation, osteoproliferation and frequently ankylosis. Current treatments that predominately target inflammatory pathways have disappointing efficacy in slowing disease progression. Thus, a better understanding of the causal association and pathological progression from inflammation to bone formation, particularly whether inflammation directly initiates osteoproliferation, is required. Methods The proteoglycan-induced spondylitis (PGISp) mouse model of AS was used to histopathologically map the progressive axial disease events, assess molecular changes during disease progression and define disease progression using unbiased clustering of semi-quantitative histology. PGISp mice were followed over a 24-week time course. Spinal disease was assessed using a novel semi-quantitative histological scoring system that independently evaluated the breadth of pathological features associated with PGISp axial disease, including inflammation, joint destruction and excessive tissue formation (osteoproliferation). Matrix components were identified using immunohistochemistry. Results Disease initiated with inflammation at the periphery of the intervertebral disc (IVD) adjacent to the longitudinal ligament, reminiscent of enthesitis, and was associated with upregulated tumor necrosis factor and metalloproteinases. After a lag phase, established inflammation was temporospatially associated with destruction of IVDs, cartilage and bone. At later time points, advanced disease was characterised by substantially reduced inflammation, excessive tissue formation and ectopic chondrocyte expansion. These distinct features differentiated affected mice into early, intermediate and advanced disease stages. Excessive tissue formation was observed in vertebral joints only if the IVD was destroyed as a consequence of the early inflammation. Ectopic excessive tissue was predominantly chondroidal with chondrocyte-like cells embedded within collagen type II- and X-rich matrix. This corresponded with upregulation of mRNA for cartilage markers Col2a1, sox9 and Comp. Osteophytes, though infrequent, were more prevalent in later disease. Conclusions The inflammation-driven IVD destruction was shown to be a prerequisite for axial disease progression to osteoproliferation in the PGISp mouse. Osteoproliferation led to vertebral body deformity and fusion but was never seen concurrent with persistent inflammation, suggesting a sequential process. The findings support that early intervention with anti-inflammatory therapies will be needed to limit destructive processes and consequently prevent progression of AS.

Sequential split vector quantization of LSF parameters using conditional PDF

A better performing product code vector quantization (VQ) method is proposed for coding the line spectrum frequency (LSF) parameters; the method is referred to as sequential split vector quantization (SeSVQ). The split sub-vectors of the full LSF vector are quantized in sequence and thus uses conditional distribution derived from the previous quantized sub-vectors. Unlike the traditional split vector quantization (SVQ) method, SeSVQ exploits the inter sub-vector correlation and thus provides improved rate-distortion performance, but at the expense of higher memory. We investigate the quantization performance of SeSVQ over traditional SVQ and transform domain split VQ (TrSVQ) methods. Compared to SVQ, SeSVQ saves 1 bit and nearly 3 bits, for telephone-band and wide-band speech coding applications respectively.

Random sequential multilayer deposition of different‐sized k mers on a one dimensional infinite substrate

Kinetics of random sequential, irreversible multilayer deposition of macromolecules of two different sizes on a one dimensional infinite lattice is analyzed at the mean field level. A formal solution for the corresponding rate equation is obtained. The Jamming limits and the distribution of gaps of exact sizes are discussed. In the absence of screening, the jamming limits are shown to be the same for all the layers. A detailed analysis for the components differing by one monomer unit is presented. The small and large time behaviors and the dependence of the individual jamming limits of the k mers and (k−1) mers on k and the rate parameters are analyzed.

Control of transient thermal response during sequential open-die forging: A trajectory optimization approach

A trajectory optimization approach is applied to the design of a sequence of open-die forging operations in order to control the transient thermal response of a large titanium alloy billet. The amount of time tire billet is soaked in furnace prior to each successive forging operation is optimized to minimize the total process time while simultaneously satisfying constraints on the maximum and minimum values of the billet's temperature distribution to avoid microstructural defects during forging. The results indicate that a "differential" heating profile is the most effective at meeting these design goals.