Increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy

Aim: The molecular mechanism of epileptogenesis in temporal lobe epilepsy is still unclear. Experimental studies have suggested that matrix metalloproteinases have important roles in this process, but human studies are limited. The aim of this study was to assess the expression of MMP-9, MMP-2 and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS). Material and Methods: The tissue samples from temporal neocortex and hippocampus were obtained from patients with temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis who had undergone anterior temporal lobectomy for recurrent medically resistant seizures. Immunohistochemical methods were used to determine the expression of MMP-9, MMP-2 and their tissue inhibitors. Tissue samples were also analyzed with transmission electron microscopy. Results: The immunoreactivity for MMP-9 both in hippocampal and temporal neocortical neurons was stronger than that of MMP-2. Additionally, there was a mild reaction for its tissue inhibitor TIMP-1 as with TIMP-2. The TEM analysis of the hippocampus revealed that there was apparent ultra-structural damage on the pericarya and neuropil of some neurons. There was obvious damage in the mitochondria and the nuclear membrane. Conclusion: The preliminary results of this study revealed that MMP-9 may have a role in patients with drug resistant TLE-HS

Scalable Tensor Factorizations for Incomplete Data

The problem of incomplete data - i.e., data with missing or unknown values - in multi-way arrays is ubiquitous in biomedical signal processing, network traffic analysis, bibliometrics, social network analysis, chemometrics, computer vision, communication networks, etc. We consider the problem of how to factorize data sets with missing values with the goal of capturing the underlying latent structure of the data and possibly reconstructing missing values (i.e., tensor completion). We focus on one of the most well-known tensor factorizations that captures multi-linear structure, CANDECOMP/PARAFAC (CP). In the presence of missing data, CP can be formulated as a weighted least squares problem that models only the known entries. We develop an algorithm called CP-WOPT (CP Weighted OPTimization) that uses a first-order optimization approach to solve the weighted least squares problem. Based on extensive numerical experiments, our algorithm is shown to successfully factorize tensors with noise and up to 99% missing data. A unique aspect of our approach is that it scales to sparse large-scale data, e.g., 1000 x 1000 x 1000 with five million known entries (0.5% dense). We further demonstrate the usefulness of CP-WOPT on two real-world applications: a novel EEG (electroencephalogram) application where missing data is frequently encountered due to disconnections of electrodes and the problem of modeling computer network traffic where data may be absent due to the expense of the data collection process

B-> X_d \ell^+\ell^- in a CP softly broken two Higgs doublet model

We study the differential branching ratio, forward-backward asymmetry, CP-violating asymmetry, CP-violating asymmetry in the forward-backward asymmetry and polarization asymmetries of the final lepton in the B-> X_d \ell^+\ell^- decays in the context of a CP softly broken two Higgs doublet model. We analyze the dependencies of these observables on the model parameters by paying a special attention to the effects of neutral Higgs boson (NHB) exchanges and possible CP violating effects. We find that NHB effects are quite significant for the \tau mode. The above-mentioned observables seems to be promising as a testing ground for new physics beyond the SM, especially for the existence of the CP-violating phase in the theory.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figure

Spinal cord stimulation in failed back surgery

Objective: Spinal cord stimulation is used for treating failed back surgery syndrome, chronic arachnoiditis, peripheral neuropathies, postamputation phantom pain, complex regional pain syndrome and pain secondary to spinal cord injury. In this study we present 7 cases with intractable neuropathic radicular pain which developed following spine surgery. Material and Methods: Spinal cord stimulation was applied to 7 (3male/4 female) patients who had failed back surgery syndrome and pain resistant to medical and invasive methods, with the council decision, which included neurosurgery, neurology, and psychiatry. One week stimulation trial was applied to all cases. Results:The mean age of the patients was 54.85±7.64 years. The mean of pain intensity in Visual Analog Scale was 8.71±0.74 at preoperative status and post operative pain intensity was 2.27±0.67 at 6 months. Pain intensity significantly decreases after spinal cord stimulation (p=0.000). One of the three cases who had unsuccessful trial period received morphine pump implantation, and percutaneous lumbar sympathectomy was applied to another one. One case who received permanent implantation was replaced to another location due to skin erosion. There was no morbidity. Conclusion: Spinal cord stimulation is an effective tool in reducing pain, in patients who have unsuccessful lower back surgery with the correct indications

Mutual coupling of printed elements on a cylindrically layered structure using closed-form Green's functions

A hybrid method to calculate mutual coupling of electric or magnetic current elements on a cylindrically layered structure using closed-form Green's functions is presented. When rho = rho' and phi is not very close to phi', closed-form Green's functions are employed in the calculation of MoM matrix entries. When both rho = rho' and phi = phi', series representation of the spectral domain Green's functions do not converge, therefore closed-form Green's functions can not be employed. In that case MoM matrix entries are evaluated using the proposed hybrid method. The technique is applied to both printed dipoles and slots placed on a layered cylindrical structures. The computational efficiency of the analysis of mutual coupling of printed elements on cylindrically layered geometries is increased with the use of proposed hybrid method which employs closed-form Green's functions

Modelling human factors in perceptual multimedia quality: On the role of personality and culture

Perception of multimedia quality is shaped by a rich interplay between system, context, and human factors. While system and context factors are widely researched, few studies in this area consider human factors as sources of systematic variance. This paper presents an analysis on the influence of personality (Five-Factor Model) and cultural traits (Hofstede Model) on the perception of multimedia quality. A set of 144 video sequences (from 12 short movie excerpts) were rated by 114 participants from a cross-cultural population, producing 1232 ratings. On this data, three models are compared: a baseline model that only considers system factors; an extended model that includes personality and culture as human factors; and an optimistic model in which each participant is modeled as a random effect. An analysis shows that personality and cultural traits represent 9.3% of the variance attributable to human factors while human factors overall predict an equal or higher proportion of variance compared to system factors. In addition, the quality-enjoyment correlation varied across the movie excerpts. This suggests that human factors play an important role in perceptual multimedia quality, but further research to explore moderation effects and a broader range of human factors is warranted

Instability tests for air-jet textured yarns

The air-jet texturing process is briefly introduced and its advantages over other texturing processes are summarized. Characteristics of air-jet textured yarns are stated with special reference to the stability of the yarns. Test methods used in industry and research to determine the "stability" or "instability" of air-jet textured yarns are critically reviewed. These methods involve different basic principles and therefore inevitably give different results. There is no consensus on a standard method. Effects of various test parameters, such as specimen length, test duration, and the alternatives of using a single yarn, a hank, or a skein as a test specimen are investigated. An improved test method is suggested as a standard instability test, and various existing methods are compared with it. Results of all the methods show similar trends for varying values of air pressure. Other yarn characteristics such as linear density, breaking elongation, and tenacity are also determined, and their indications of yarn quality are compared with the indications of instability tests. Stability test results alone provide misleading information regarding air-jet textured yarn quality