We show that if M is an oriented closed geometric four manifold the following notions are equivalent, (i) M has zero minimal entropy, h(M) = 0. (ii) M collapses with bounded curvature, VolK(M) = 0. (iii) The simplicial volume of M vanishes, ||M || = 0. (iv) M admits a T -structure. (v) M is modelled on one of the geometries S, CP , S × E, H × E, S̃L2 × E, Nil × E, Nil, Sol 1 , S × E, H × E, Sol ...

This study measured sweat rates (m(sw)) during high-altitude summer treks on Mt. Kilimanjaro to evaluate the efficacy of a recently developed fuzzy piecewise sweat prediction equation (Pw,sol) for application to high-altitude conditions. We hypothesized that the Pw,sol equation, adjusted for the barometric pressure (Pb) decreasing steadily at high altitude (Pw,sol+Alt), would allow for a more a...

H-reflex conditioning is a model for studying the plasticity associated with a new motor skill. We are exploring its effects on other reflexes and on locomotion. Rats were implanted with EMG electrodes in both solei (SOL(R) and SOL(L)) and right quadriceps (QD(R)), and stimulating cuffs on both posterior tibial (PT) nerves and right posterior femoral nerve. When SOL(R) EMG remained in a defined...

This work presents a novel method for direct desorption/ ionization of analytes from sol-gel-derived film. 2,5-Dihydroxy benzoic acid (DHB), a common MALDI matrix, was incorporated into a sol-gel polymeric structure. The sol-gel-derived DHB thin film can assist the mass analysis of analytes by laser desorption/ionization, with a matrix interference-free background in the mass spectra. The sol-g...

This study was designed to prospectively evaluate the role of nebulized hyaluronic acid (HA) administered for 10 days as treatment for patients with rhinitis medicamentosa (RM). RM is a pathological condition of the nasal mucosa induced by prolonged, excessive or improper use of topical decongestants. It is characterized by persistent nasal congestion that can lead the patient to increase the f...

Elevated levels of a circulating form of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) coreceptor endoglin correlate with poor clinical outcome in different types of cancer. Soluble endoglin (Sol-Eng) is primarily produced by cleavage of cell-surface endoglin by the transmembrane metalloprotease MMP14 that releases most of its extracellular domain. Sol-Eng has been found to contribute to different c...

Scrapeoff Layer (SOL) data from DIII-D and C-Mod have been acquired and analyzed for radial particle transport based on a particle balance model. This has allowed a detailed comparison for L-mode plasmas. The inferred radial particle flux, Γ⊥(r), is parameterized in terms of diffusive [Deff(r) ≡ Γ⊥(r)/∇n(r)] and convective particle transport [veff(r) ≡ Γ⊥(r)/n(r)]. The magnitude of the inferred...

K-Sol, a recently developed corneal storage medium that contains purified chondroitin sulphate in tissue culture medium (TC 199), is capable of preserving corneal tissue for 14 days at 4 degrees C. To study the effect of tissue storage in K-Sol at room temperature we preserved rabbit corneas in K-Sol and M-K medium for three or seven days at 25 degrees C. All of the corneal endothelial sheets w...

This study's purpose was to examine whether functional overload with nandrolone decanoate (ND) administration increased muscle mass and steroid receptor concentration in aged rat soleus (Sol) and plantaris (Plan) muscle. ND (6 mg/kg body wt) was administered once a week for 4 wk, whereas control rats received sesame seed oil injections. Functional overload of the hindlimb Sol and Plan was induc...

Kinetics of sol-gel formation were studied using the recently developed near-infrared (NIR) multispectral imaging instrument. This imaging spectrometer possesses all the advantages of conventional spectrometers. It also has additional features that NIR spectrometers cannot offer, namely, its ability to provide kinetic information at different positions within a sample. The high spatial resoluti...