Solving constrained combinatorial optimization problems via MAP inference is often achieved by introducing extra potential functions for each constraint. This can result in very high order potentials, e.g. a 2-order objective with pairwise potentials and a quadratic constraint over all N variables would correspond to an unconstrained objective with an order-N potential. This limits the practica...

We investigate low-dimensional plasmons (PL’s) in an array of metallic quantum wires. By developing a self-consistent local-fieldcorrection (LFC) theory for treatment of the PL’s in the wire array, we take account of both the intrawire exchange-correlation (XC) effect and the interwire correlation effect. By comparing the results involving the LFC with those in the random-phase approximation, w...

1 OCCLUSION FUNCTION To evaluate o(Li(xc,yc)), we leverage the vector data we downloaded from the OSM database and render all containing roads into a grayscale image buffer B whose extent is chosen according to the map area of the cell domain and whose resolution is chosen to resemble the resolution of the output device. Since roads are encoded in the OSM as simple polylines, for simplicity rea...

Glial cells play an important role in sequestering neuronally released glutamate via Na+-dependent transporters. Surprisingly, these transporters are not operational in glial-derived tumors (gliomas). Instead, gliomas release glutamate, causing excitotoxic death of neurons in the vicinity of the tumor. We now show that glutamate release from glioma cells is an obligatory by-product of cellular ...

We report here the cloning, characterisation and developmental expression profile of the Xenopus laevis CCAAT-enhancer binding protein beta (xC/EBPbeta) gene. The protein synthesised from the xC/EBPbeta gene interacts specifically with a C/EBP-recognition sequence and acts as a transcriptional activator. Several conserved regions are present in the xC/EBPbeta sequence, including the basic regio...

5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a highly conserved serine-threonine kinase that regulates energy expenditure by activating catabolic metabolism and suppressing anabolic pathways to increase cellular energy levels. Therefore AMPK activators are considered to be drug targets for treatment of metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. To identify novel AMPK activators, we screened xan...

Myc-deficient mice fail to develop normal vascular networks and Myc-deficient embryonic stem cells fail to provoke a tumor angiogenic response when injected into immune compromised mice. However, the molecular underpinnings of these defects are poorly understood. To assess whether Myc indeed contributes to embryonic vasculogenesis we evaluated Myc function in Xenopus laevis embryogenesis. Here,...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in perioperative oxidant-antioxidant balance in ONCABG. METHODS Twenty-three patients were included in this study. Serum total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), and oxidative stress index (OSI) values were assessed preoperatively, at 20 minutes after aortic clamping and at 30 minutes, 6 hours, and 48 hours after ...

BACKGROUND Nordic combined (NC) is an Olympic winter-sport performed as a ski jumping (SJ) event followed by a cross-country (XC) pursuit race employing the skating style. PURPOSE To elucidate the associations between sport-specific laboratory capacities and SJ, XC skiing, and overall NC performance in a world-cup NC event. METHODS Twelve international world-cup NC athletes from 8 nations p...

Predator–prey interactions play major and direct roles in the structuring of zooplankton communities. Asplanchna usually predates ciliates, rotifers, cladocerans and sometimes even copepods, its predation may drive not only the ecological, but also the evolutionary dynamics of prey populations. In the present study, the life-table demography and the population growth of Asplanchna brightwelli w...