In this article, the ant colony method is utilized for topology optimization of space structures. Strain energy of the structure is minimized while the material volume is limited to a certain amount. In other words, the stiffest possible structure is sought when certain given materials are used. In addition, a noise cleaning technique is addressed to prevent undesirable members in optimum topol...

Studies with positron-emission tomography have indicated that muscarinic acetylcholine receptors may be involved in the mechanism of enhancement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by neuronal functional activation. We examined the effects of muscarinic receptor blockade by scopolamine on the local CBF responses to vibrissal stimulation in the whisker-to-barrel cortex sensory pathway in unanesthetized...

Droplets spontaneously move when they are placed at the tip of a cone surface. Using three-dimensionally-printed structures, an experimental exploration large panel configurations regarding aperture angle finds evidence for change droplet geometry while moving along conical fiber---from barrel to clamshell shape. The position this geometrical transition is estimated and two models proposed desc...

The Urine Diverting Dehydration Toilet (UDDT) is one of a wide range of technologies Ecological Sanitation (Ecosan) offers. A commonly used type is the so called solar UDDT, constructed with inclined vault doors or panels which are usually made from black iron sheets to increase the temperature inside the vaults and therefore would facilitate dehydration and hygienisation. The study aims to giv...

Lipocalins are extracellular proteins (17-25 kDa) that bind and transport small lipophilic molecules. The three-dimensional structure of the first lipocalin from a metatherian has been determined at different values of pH both with and without bound ligands. Trichosurin, a protein from the milk whey of the common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula, has been recombinantly expressed in Esche...

We have examined relative levels of metabolic and electrical activity across layer IV in the primary somatic sensory cortex (S1) of the rat in relation to regions of differential postnatal cortical growth. Each of several indices used--mitochondrial enzyme histochemistry, microvessel density, Na+/K+ pump activity, action potential frequency, and deoxyglucose uptake--indicate regional variations...

Previous studies have shown that the receptive field properties, spontaneous activity and spatio-temporal interactions of low-threshold mechanical somatosensory cells in the barrel cortex are influenced by C-fibers. In this study, we examined the effect of C-fiber depletion on response properties of barrel cortex neurons following experience dependent plasticity. Methods: In this study, exte...

Channel improvements involving channel expansion upstream of culverts may result in increased sediment deposition near the structure, which in turn may result in decreased hydraulic performance and safety. These conditions are investigated through physical and numerical modeling. An improved understanding of the hydraulic performance of channel expansions is developed, improved performance curv...

We report a novel approach to a new class of bioengineered, monodispersed, self-assembling vault nanoparticles consisting of a protein shell exterior with a lipophilic core interior designed for drug and probe delivery. Recombinant vaults were engineered to contain a small amphipathic α-helix derived from the nonstructural protein 5A of hepatitis C virus, thereby creating within the vault lumen...