The Dielectric Polarisation of Liquid Mixtures.

This paper discuss the Dielectric Polarisation of Liquid Mixtures.@IAC

Apolipoprotein C3 SstI polymorphism and triglyceride levels in Asian Indians

BACKGROUND: A close association between Sst I polymorphism in the 3' untranslated region of the apolipoproteinC3 (APOC3) gene and levels of plasma triglycerides (TG) had been reported by different investigators. Hypertriglyceridemia(HTG) is a known risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) in the context of Asian Indians. We conducted a study on the relationship between APOC3 SstI polymorphism (S1S1, S1S2 and S2S2 genotypes) and plasma TG levels in a group of 139 male healthy volunteers from Northern India. METHODS: DNA samples were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by SstI digestion. Digested PCR products were run on 3% agarose gel and visualized by ethidium bromide staining. RESULTS: Rare S2 allele was highly prevalent in our study population (0.313) as compared to the Caucasians (0.00–0.11). The genotypic distribution was in agreement with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. S2 allele was almost two times more prevalent in the HTG group (N = 34) as compared to NTG group (N = 105) (p = 0.001). Multiple logistic regression revealed S1S2 individuals had age-adjusted odds ratio of 2.43 (95%CI = 0.99–6.01, p = 0.054) and S2S2 had 9.9 (95%CI = 2.66–37.29, p = 0.0006) for developing HTG in comparison to S1S1 genotype. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows a significant association between rare S2 allele and HTG in Asian Indians

SQG-Differential Evolution for difficult optimization problems under a tight function evaluation budget

In the context of industrial engineering, it is important to integrate efficient computational optimization methods in the product development process. Some of the most challenging simulation-based engineering design optimization problems are characterized by: a large number of design variables, the absence of analytical gradients, highly non-linear objectives and a limited function evaluation budget. Although a huge variety of different optimization algorithms is available, the development and selection of efficient algorithms for problems with these industrial relevant characteristics, remains a challenge. In this communication, a hybrid variant of Differential Evolution (DE) is introduced which combines aspects of Stochastic Quasi-Gradient (SQG) methods within the framework of DE, in order to improve optimization efficiency on problems with the previously mentioned characteristics. The performance of the resulting derivative-free algorithm is compared with other state-of-the-art DE variants on 25 commonly used benchmark functions, under tight function evaluation budget constraints of 1000 evaluations. The experimental results indicate that the new algorithm performs excellent on the 'difficult' (high dimensional, multi-modal, inseparable) test functions. The operations used in the proposed mutation scheme, are computationally inexpensive, and can be easily implemented in existing differential evolution variants or other population-based optimization algorithms by a few lines of program code as an non-invasive optional setting. Besides the applicability of the presented algorithm by itself, the described concepts can serve as a useful and interesting addition to the algorithmic operators in the frameworks of heuristics and evolutionary optimization and computing

Smartphone-based remote monitoring of vision in macular disease enables early detection of worsening pathology and need for intravitreal therapy

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To assess the outcomes of home monitoring of distortion caused by macular diseases using a smartphone-based application (app), and to examine them with hospital-based assessments of visual acuity (VA), optical coherence tomography-derived central macular thickness (CMT) and the requirement of intravitreal injection therapy. DESIGN: Observational study with retrospective analysis of data. METHODS: Participants were trained in the correct use of the app (Alleye, Oculocare, Zurich, Switzerland) in person or by using video and telephone consultations. Automated threshold-based alerts were communicated based on a traffic light system. A ‘threshold alarm’ was defined as three consecutive ‘red’ scores, and turned into a ‘persistent alarm’ if present for greater than a 7-day period. Changes of VA and CMT, and the requirement for intravitreal therapy after an alarm were examined. RESULTS: 245 patients performing a total of 11 592 tests (mean 46.9 tests per user) were included and 85 eyes (164 alarms) examined. Mean drop in VA from baseline was −4.23 letters (95% CI: −6.24 to −2.22; p<0.001) and mean increase in CMT was 29.5 µm (95% CI: −0.08 to 59.13; p=0.051). Sixty-six eyes (78.5%) producing alarms either had a drop in VA, increase in CMT or both and 60.0% received an injection. Eyes with persistent alarms had a greater loss of VA, −4.79 letters (95% CI: −6.73 to −2.85; p<0.001) or greater increase in CMT, +87.8 µm (95% CI: 5.2 to 170.4; p=0.038). CONCLUSION: Smartphone-based self-tests for macular disease may serve as reliable indicators for the worsening of pathology and the need for treatment

Phenomenological Aspects of Gauge Mediation with Sequestered Supersymmetry Breaking in light of Dark Matter Detection

In a recent work, a model of gauge mediation with sequestered supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking was proposed. In this model, the mass of the gravitino is O(100) GeV without causing the flavor-changing neutral-current problem. In contrast to traditional gauge mediation, the gravitino is not the lightest SUSY particle and the neutralino is the candidate of the dark matter. In this paper, we investigate phenomenological aspects of this model and discuss the possibility of the direct detection of the dark matter. In particular, we focus on the light neutralino case and find that the light-Higgsino scenario such as the focus point is interesting, taking account of the recent CDMS result.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures; v2:references added, some corrections; v3:version accepted for publication in JHE

Increased HIV Incidence in Men Who Have Sex with Men Despite High Levels of ART-Induced Viral Suppression: Analysis of an Extensively Documented Epidemic

Background: There is interest in expanding ART to prevent HIV transmission, but in the group with the highest levels of ART use, men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM), numbers of new infections diagnosed each year have not decreased as ART coverage has increased for reasons which remain unclear. Methods: We analysed data on the HIV-epidemic in MSM in the UK from a range of sources using an individual-based simulation model. Model runs using parameter sets found to result in good model fit were used to infer changes in HIV-incidence and risk behaviour. Results: HIV-incidence has increased (estimated mean incidence 0.30/100 person-years 1990–1997, 0.45/100 py 1998–2010), associated with a modest (26%) rise in condomless sex. We also explored counter-factual scenarios: had ART not been introduced, but the rise in condomless sex had still occurred, then incidence 2006–2010 was 68% higher; a policy of ART initiation in all diagnosed with HIV from 2001 resulted in 32% lower incidence; had levels of HIV testing been higher (68% tested/year instead of 25%) incidence was 25% lower; a combination of higher testing and ART at diagnosis resulted in 62% lower incidence; cessation of all condom use in 2000 resulted in a 424% increase in incidence. In 2010, we estimate that undiagnosed men, the majority in primary infection, accounted for 82% of new infections. Conclusion: A rise in HIV-incidence has occurred in MSM in the UK despite an only modest increase in levels of condomless sex and high coverage of ART. ART has almost certainly exerted a limiting effect on incidence. Much higher rates of HIV testing combined with initiation of ART at diagnosis would be likely to lead to substantial reductions in HIV incidence. Increased condom use should be promoted to avoid the erosion of the benefits of ART and to prevent other serious sexually transmitted infections

FindFoci: a focus detection algorithm with automated parameter training that closely matches human assignments, reduces human inconsistencies and increases speed of analysis

Accurate and reproducible quantification of the accumulation of proteins into foci in cells is essential for data interpretation and for biological inferences. To improve reproducibility, much emphasis has been placed on the preparation of samples, but less attention has been given to reporting and standardizing the quantification of foci. The current standard to quantitate foci in open-source software is to manually determine a range of parameters based on the outcome of one or a few representative images and then apply the parameter combination to the analysis of a larger dataset. Here, we demonstrate the power and utility of using machine learning to train a new algorithm (FindFoci) to determine optimal parameters. FindFoci closely matches human assignments and allows rapid automated exploration of parameter space. Thus, individuals can train the algorithm to mirror their own assignments and then automate focus counting using the same parameters across a large number of images. Using the training algorithm to match human assignments of foci, we demonstrate that applying an optimal parameter combination from a single image is not broadly applicable to analysis of other images scored by the same experimenter or by other experimenters. Our analysis thus reveals wide variation in human assignment of foci and their quantification. To overcome this, we developed training on multiple images, which reduces the inconsistency of using a single or a few images to set parameters for focus detection. FindFoci is provided as an open-source plugin for ImageJ

Supersymmetry in the shadow of photini

Additional neutral gauge fermions -- "photini" -- arise in string compactifications as superpartners of U(1) gauge fields. Unlike their vector counterparts, the photini can acquire weak-scale masses from soft SUSY breaking and lead to observable signatures at the LHC through mass mixing with the bino. In this work we investigate the collider consequences of adding photini to the neutralino sector of the MSSM. Relatively large mixing of one or more photini with the bino can lead to prompt decays of the lightest ordinary supersymmetric particle; these extra cascades transfer most of the energy of SUSY decay chains into Standard Model particles, diminishing the power of missing energy as an experimental handle for signal discrimination. We demonstrate that the missing energy in SUSY events with photini is reduced dramatically for supersymmetric spectra with MSSM neutralinos near the weak scale, and study the effects on limits set by the leading hadronic SUSY searches at ATLAS and CMS. We find that in the presence of even one light photino the limits on squark masses from hadronic searches can be reduced by 400 GeV, with comparable (though more modest) reduction of gluino mass limits. We also consider potential discovery channels such as dilepton and multilepton searches, which remain sensitive to SUSY spectra with photini and can provide an unexpected route to the discovery of supersymmetry. Although presented in the context of photini, our results apply in general to theories in which additional light neutral fermions mix with MSSM gauginos.Comment: 23 pages, 8 figures, references adde

Caveolin-1 enhances resveratrol-mediated cytotoxicity and transport in a hepatocellular carcinoma model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Resveratrol (RES), an estrogen analog, is considered as a potential cancer chemo-preventive agent. However, it remains unclear how RES is transported into cells. In this study, we observed that Caveolin-1(CAV1) expression can increase the cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic activity of RES in a dose- and time-dependent manner both <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo </it>in a Hepatocellular Carcinoma animal model.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) demonstrated that RES intra-cellular concentration is increased about 2-fold in cells stably expressing CAV1 or CAVM1 (a scaffolding domain (81-101AA)-defective CAV1 mutant) compared to the untransduced human Hepatoblastoma cell line (HepG2) or after transduction with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) control vector. The increased intra-cellular transport of RES was abolished in cells stably expressing CAVM2 (a cholesterol shuttle domain (143-156AA)-defective CAV1 mutant) or CAVRNAi. In order to further characterize CAV1-dependent RES transport, we synthesized RES-dansyl chloride derivatives as fluorescent probes to visualize the transport process, which demonstrated a distribution consistent with that of CAV1 in HepG2 cells.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In addition, RES endocytosis was not mediated by estrogen receptor (ER) α and β, as suggested by lack of competitive inhibition by estrogen or Tamoxifen. Pathway analysis showed that RES can up-regulate the expression of endogenous CAV1; this activates further the MAPK pathway and caspase-3 expression.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This study provides novel insights about the role played by CAV1 in modulating cellular sensitivity to RES through enhancement of its internalization and trafficking.</p