An accelerated Newton-Dinkelbach method and its application to two variables per inequality systems

We present an accelerated, or 'look-ahead' version of the Newton-Dinkelbach method, a well-known technique for solving fractional and parametric optimization problems. This acceler

Retinoic acid induces HL-60 cell differentiation via the upregulation of miR-663

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Differentiation of the acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line HL-60 can be induced by all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA); however, the mechanism regulating this process has not been fully characterized.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using bioinformatics and <it>in vitro </it>experiments, we identified the microRNA gene expression profile of HL-60 cells during ATRA induced granulocytic differentiation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Six microRNAs were upregulated by ATRA treatment, miR-663, miR-494, miR-145, miR-22, miR-363* and miR-223; and three microRNAs were downregulated, miR-10a, miR-181 and miR-612. Additionally, miR-663 expression was regulated by ATRA. We used a lentivirus (LV) backbone incorporating the spleen focus forming virus (SFFV-F) promoter to drive miR-663 expression, as the CMV (Cytomegalovirus) promoter is ineffective in some lymphocyte cells. Transfection of LV-miR-663 induced significant HL-60 cell differentiation <it>in vitro</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results show miR-663 may play an important role in ATRA induced HL-60 cell differentiation. Lentivirus delivery of miR-663 could potentially be used directly as an anticancer treatment in hematological malignancies</p

An Inhibitory Effect of Extracellular Ca2+ on Ca2+-Dependent Exocytosis

Aim: Neurotransmitter release is elicited by an elevation of intracellular Ca 2+ concentration ([Ca 2+] i). The action potential triggers Ca 2+ influx through Ca 2+ channels which causes local changes of [Ca 2+] i for vesicle release. However, any direct role of extracellular Ca 2+ (besides Ca 2+ influx) on Ca 2+-dependent exocytosis remains elusive. Here we set out to investigate this possibility on rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and chromaffin cells, widely used models for studying vesicle exocytosis. Results: Using photolysis of caged Ca 2+ and caffeine-induced release of stored Ca 2+, we found that extracellular Ca 2+ inhibited exocytosis following moderate [Ca 2+]i rises (2–3 mM). The IC50 for extracellular Ca 2+ inhibition of exocytosis (ECIE) was 1.38 mM and a physiological reduction (,30%) of extracellular Ca 2+ concentration ([Ca 2+]o) significantly increased the evoked exocytosis. At the single vesicle level, quantal size and release frequency were also altered by physiological [Ca 2+] o. The calcimimetics Mg 2+,Cd 2+, G418, and neomycin all inhibited exocytosis. The extracellular Ca 2+-sensing receptor (CaSR) was not involved because specific drugs and knockdown of CaSR in DRG neurons did not affect ECIE. Conclusion/Significance: As an extension of the classic Ca 2+ hypothesis of synaptic release, physiological levels of extracellular Ca 2+ play dual roles in evoked exocytosis by providing a source of Ca 2+ influx, and by directly regulatin

Genome-Wide Compensatory Changes Accompany Drug- Selected Mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum crt Gene

Mutations in PfCRT (Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistant transporter), particularly the substitution at amino acid position 76, confer chloroquine (CQ) resistance in P. falciparum. Point mutations in the homolog of the mammalian multidrug resistance gene (pfmdr1) can also modulate the levels of CQ response. Moreover, parasites with the same pfcrt and pfmdr1 alleles exhibit a wide range of drug sensitivity, suggesting that additional genes contribute to levels of CQ resistance (CQR). Reemergence of CQ sensitive parasites after cessation of CQ use indicates that changes in PfCRT are deleterious to the parasite. Some CQR parasites, however, persist in the field and grow well in culture, which may reflect adaptive changes in the parasite genome to compensate for the mutations in PfCRT. Using three isogenic clones that have different drug resistance profiles corresponding to unique mutations in the pfcrt gene (106/1K76, 106/176I, and 106/76I-352K), we investigated changes in gene expression in these parasites grown with and without CQ. We also conducted hybridizations of genomic DNA to identify copy number (CN) changes in parasite genes. RNA transcript levels from 45 genes were significantly altered in one or both mutants relative to the parent line, 106/1K76. Most of the up-regulated genes are involved in invasion, cell growth and development, signal transduction, and transport activities. Of particular interest are genes encoding proteins involved in transport and/or regulation of cytoplasmic or compartmental pH such as the V-type H+ pumping pyrophosphatase 2 (PfVP2), Ca2+/H+ antiporter VCX1, a putative drug transporter and CN changes in pfmdr1. These changes may represent adaptations to altered functionality of PfCRT, a predicted member of drug/metabolite transporter superfamily found on the parasite food vacuole (FV) membrane. Further investigation of these genes may shed light on how the parasite compensates for functional changes accompanying drug resistance mutations in a gene coding for a membrane/drug transporter

Метод расчета зависимости динамики доходов работников от уровня образования в Республике Беларусь

We report a study of the process e(+)e(-) -&gt; (D*(D) over bar*)(0)pi(0) using e(+)e(-) collision data samples with integrated luminosities of 1092 pb(-1) at root s = 4.23 GeV and 826 pb(-1) at root s = 4.26 GeV collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII storage ring. We observe a new neutral structure near the (D*(D) over bar*)(0) mass threshold in the pi(0) recoil mass spectrum, which we denote as Z(c)(4025)(0). Assuming a Breit-Wigner line shape, its pole mass and pole width are determined to be (4025.5(-4.7)(+2.0) +/- 3.1) MeV/c(2) and (23.0 +/- 6.0 +/- 1.0) MeV, respectively. The Born cross sections of e(+)e(-) -&gt; Z(c)(4025)(0)pi(0) -&gt; (D*(D) over bar*)(0)pi(0) are measured to be (61.6 +/- 8.2 +/- 9.0) pb at root s = 4.23 GeV and (43.4 +/- 8.0 +/- 5.4) pb at root s = 4.26 GeV. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic.Funding: The BESIII Collaboration thanks the staff of BEPCII and the IHEP computing center for their strong support. This work is supported in part by the National Key Basic Research Program of China under Contract No. 2015CB856700; the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Contracts No. 11125525, No. 11235011, No. 11275266, No. 11322544, No. 11335008, and No. 11425524; the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Large-Scale Scientific Facility Program; the CAS Center for Excellence in Particle Physics (CCEPP); the Collaborative Innovation Center for Particles and Interactions (CICPI); the Joint Large-Scale Scientific Facility Funds of the NSFC and the CAS under Contracts No. 11179007, No. U1232201, and No. U1332201; the CAS under Contracts No. KJCX2-YW-N29 and No. KJCX2-YW-N45; the 100 Talents Program of the CAS; INPAC and the Shanghai Key Laboratory for Particle Physics and Cosmology; German Research Foundation DFG under Contract No. Collaborative Research Center CRC-1044; the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Italy; the Ministry of Development of Turkey under Contract No. DPT2006K-120470; the Russian Foundation for Basic Research under Contract No. 14-07-91152; the U.S. Department of Energy under Contracts No. DE-FG02-04ER41291, No. E-FG02-05ER41374, No. DE-FG02-94ER40823, and No. DESC0010118; the U.S. National Science Foundation; the University of Groningen (RuG) and the Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung GmbH (GSI), Darmstadt; and the WCU Program of National Research Foundation of Korea under Contract No. R32-2008-000-10155-0.</p