Comments on "Entropy of 2D Black Holes from Counting Microstates"

In a recent letter, Cadoni and Mignemi proposed a formulation for the statistical computation of the 2D black holes entropy. We present a criticism about their formulation.Comment: 5 pages, Latex, no figure

Bucillamine prevents cisplatin-induced ototoxicity through induction of glutathione and antioxidant genes.

Bucillamine is used for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. This study investigated the protective effects of bucillamine against cisplatin-induced damage in auditory cells, the organ of Corti from postnatal rats (P2) and adult Balb/C mice. Cisplatin increases the catalytic activity of caspase-3 and caspase-8 proteases and the production of free radicals, which were significantly suppressed by pretreatment with bucillamine. Bucillamine induces the intranuclear translocation of Nrf2 and thereby increases the expression of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) and glutathione synthetase (GSS), which further induces intracellular antioxidant glutathione (GSH), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2). However, knockdown studies of HO-1 and SOD2 suggest that the protective effect of bucillamine against cisplatin is independent of the enzymatic activity of HO-1 and SOD. Furthermore, pretreatment with bucillamine protects sensory hair cells on organ of Corti explants from cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity concomitantly with inhibition of caspase-3 activation. The auditory-brainstem-evoked response of cisplatin-injected mice shows marked increases in hearing threshold shifts, which was markedly suppressed by pretreatment with bucillamine in vivo. Taken together, bucillamine protects sensory hair cells from cisplatin through a scavenging effect on itself, as well as the induction of intracellular GSH

A Spectral Line Survey from 138.3 to 150.7 GHZ toward Orion-KL

We present the results of a spectral line survey from 138.3 to 150.7 GHz toward Orion-KL. The observations were made using the 14 m radio telescope of Taeduk Radio Astronomy Observatory. Typical system temperatures were between 500 and 700 K, with the sensitivity between $0.02 - 0.06$ K in units of $\rm T_A^*$. A total of 149 line spectra are detected in this survey. Fifty lines have been previously reported, however we find 99 new detections. Among these new lines, 32 are `unidentified', while 67 are from molecular transitions with known identifications. There is no detection of H or He recombination lines. The identified spectra are from a total of 16 molecular species and their isotopic variants. In the range from 138.3 to 150.7 GHz, the strongest spectral line is the J=3-2 transition of CS molecule, followed by transitions of the $\rm H_2CO$, $\rm CH_3OH$, $\rm CH_3CN$, and $\rm SO_2$. Spectral lines from the large organic molecules such as $\rm CH_3OH$, $\rm CH_3OCH_3$, $\rm HCOOCH_3$, $\rm C_2H_5CN$ and $\rm CH_3CN$ are prominent; with 80 % of the identified lines arising from transitions of these molecules. The rotational temperatures and column densities are derived using the standard rotation diagram analysis for $\rm CH_3OH$ ($\rm ^{13}CH_3OH$), $\rm HCOOCH_3$, $\rm CH_3CN$ and $\rm SO_2$ with $\rm 10\sim 270 K$ and $\rm 0.2\sim 20\times 10^{15} cm^{-2}$. These estimates are fairly comparable to the values for the same molecule in other frequency regions by other studies.Comment: 10 figures, 2 tex files for a manuscript and tables, accepted to Ap

Nonlinear oscillations of a sessile drop on a hydrophobic surface induced by ac electrowetting

We examine the nature of ac electrowetting (EW)-driven axisymmetric oscillations of a sessile water drop on a dielectric substrate. In ac EW, small-amplitude oscillations of a drop differ from the Rayleigh linear modes of freely oscillating drops. In this paper, we demonstrate that changes in the time-averaged contact angle of the sessile drop attributed to the presence of an electric field and a solid substrate mainly caused this discrepancy. We combine the domain perturbation method with the Lindsted-Poincare method to derive an asymptotic formula for resonant frequency. Theoretical analysis shows that the resonant frequency is a function of the time-averaged contact angle. Each mode of the resonance frequency is a linear function of epsilon(1), which is the magnitude of the cosine of the time-averaged contact angle. The most dominant mode in this study, that is, the fundamental mode n = 2, decreases linearly with epsilon(1). The results of the theoretical model are compared with those of both the experiments and numerical simulations. The average resonant frequency deviation between the perturbation solutions and numerical simulations is 4.3%, whereas that between the perturbation solutions and the experiments is 1.8%.X1121sciescopu

Bisphenol A Increases Atherosclerosis in Pregnane X Receptor-Humanized ApoE Deficient Mice

BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a base chemical used extensively in many consumer products. BPA has recently been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in multiple large-scale human population studies, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We previously reported that BPA activates the pregnane X receptor (PXR), which acts as a xenobiotic sensor to regulate xenobiotic metabolism and has pro-atherogenic effects in animal models upon activation. Interestingly, BPA is a potent agonist of human PXR but does not activate mouse or rat PXR signaling, which confounds the use of rodent models to evaluate mechanisms of BPA-mediated CVD risk. This study aimed to investigate the atherogenic mechanism of BPA using a PXR-humanized mouse model. METHODS AND RESULTS: A PXR-humanized ApoE deficient (huPXR•ApoE-/-) mouse line was generated that respond to human PXR ligands and feeding studies were performed to determine the effects of BPA exposure on atherosclerosis development. Exposure to BPA significantly increased atherosclerotic lesion area in the aortic root and brachiocephalic artery of huPXR•ApoE-/- mice by 104% (P\u3c0.001) and 120% (P\u3c0.05), respectively. By contrast, BPA did not affect atherosclerosis development in the control littermates without human PXR. BPA exposure did not affect plasma lipid levels but increased CD36 expression and lipid accumulation in macrophages of huPXR•ApoE−/− mice. CONCLUSION: These findings identify a molecular mechanism that could link BPA exposure to increased risk of CVD in exposed individuals. PXR is therefore a relevant target for future risk assessment of BPA and related environmental chemicals in humans

Aggregate Plaque Volume by Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography Is Superior and Incremental to Luminal Narrowing for Diagnosis of Ischemic Lesions of Intermediate Stenosis Severity

ObjectivesThis study examined the performance of percent aggregate plaque volume (%APV), which represents cumulative plaque volume as a function of total vessel volume, by coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) for identification of ischemic lesions of intermediate stenosis severity.BackgroundCoronary lesions of intermediate stenosis demonstrate significant rates of ischemia. Coronary CTA enables quantification of luminal narrowing and %APV.MethodsWe identified 58 patients with intermediate lesions (30% to 69% diameter stenosis) who underwent invasive angiography and fractional flow reserve. Coronary CTA measures included diameter stenosis, area stenosis, minimal lumen diameter (MLD), minimal lumen area (MLA) and %APV. %APV was defined as the sum of plaque volume divided by the sum of vessel volume from the ostium to the distal portion of the lesion. Fractional flow reserve ≤0.80 was considered diagnostic of lesion-specific ischemia. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and net reclassification improvement (NRI) were also evaluated.ResultsTwenty-two of 58 lesions (38%) caused ischemia. Compared with nonischemic lesions, ischemic lesions had smaller MLD (1.3 vs. 1.7 mm, p = 0.01), smaller MLA (2.5 vs. 3.8 mm2, p = 0.01), and greater %APV (48.9% vs. 39.3%, p < 0.0001). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was highest for %APV (0.85) compared with diameter stenosis (0.68), area stenosis (0.66), MLD (0.75), or MLA (0.78). Addition of %APV to other measures showed significant reclassification over diameter stenosis (NRI 0.77, p < 0.001), area stenosis (NRI 0.63, p = 0.002), MLD (NRI 0.62, p = 0.001), and MLA (NRI 0.43, p = 0.01).ConclusionsCompared with diameter stenosis, area stenosis, MLD, and MLA, %APV by coronary CTA improves identification, discrimination, and reclassification of ischemic lesions of intermediate stenosis severity

Seismic analysis, design, and retrofit of built-environments: a procedural review of current practices and case studies

Abstract This paper presents a synthesis of current practices in regard to the seismic analysis, design, and retrofit of built-environments. Background information on the behavior of existing buildings subjected to earthquake loadings is gathered and rehabilitation methodologies are elaborated. The first part of the review examines design standards and guidelines that are used in the structural engineering community. These documents are mandatory for the legal adoption of a model code by the governing jurisdiction where the building in question is to be located. The second part discusses retrofit procedures alongside specific provisions dominating the requirements and techniques appertaining to ground motions. The third part handles case studies emphasizing an upgrade of school buildings that are non-conforming to contemporary specifications and guidelines. For substantiating the performance of proposed methodologies, laboratory tests are conducted in conjunction with finite element analysis, which form the technical foundation of site implementations

Surgical anatomy of the uncinate process and transverse foramen determined by computer tomography

Study Design Computed tomography–based cohort study. Objective Although there are publications concerning the relationship between the vertebral artery and uncinate process, there is no practical guide detailing the dimensions of this region to use during decompression of the intervertebral foramen. The purpose of this study is to determine the anatomic parameters that can be used as a guide for thorough decompression of the intervertebral foramen. Methods Fifty-one patients with three-dimensional computed tomography scans of the cervical spine from 2003 to 2012 were included. On axial views, we measured the distance from the midline to the medial and lateral cortices of the pedicle bilaterally from C3 to C7. On coronal reconstructed views, we measured the minimum height of the uncinate process from the cranial cortex of the pedicle adjacent to the posterior cortex of vertebral body and the maximal height of the uncinate process from the cranial cortex of the pedicle at the midportion of the vertebral body bilaterally from C3 to C7. Results The mean distances from midline to the medial and lateral cortices of the pedicle were 10.1 ± 1.3 mm and 13.9 ± 1.5 mm, respectively. The mean minimum height of the uncinate process from the cranial cortex of the pedicle was 4.6 ± 1.6 mm and the mean maximal height was 6.1 ± 1.7 mm. Conclusions Our results suggest that in most cases, one can thoroughly decompress the intervertebral foramen by removing the uncinate out to 13 mm laterally from the midline and 4 mm above the pedicle without violating the transverse foramen

Bisphenol A and Its Analogues Activate Human Pregnane X Receptor

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) is a base chemical used extensively in many consumer products. BPA and its analogues are present in environmental and human samples. Many endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including BPA, have been shown to activate the pregnane X receptor (PXR), a nuclear receptor that functions as a master regulator of xenobiotic metabolism. However, the detailed mechanism by which these chemicals activate PXR remains unknown

New agegraphic dark energy model with generalized uncertainty principle

We investigate the new agegraphic dark energy models with generalized uncertainty principle (GUP). It turns out that although the GUP affects the early universe, it does not change the current and future dark energy-dominated universe significantly. Furthermore, this model could describe the matter-dominated universe in the past only when the parameter $n$ is chosen to be $n>n_c$, where the critical value determined to be $n_c=2.799531478$.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figure, version to appear in MPL