170 research outputs found
siEDM: an efficient string index and search algorithm for edit distance with moves
Although several self-indexes for highly repetitive text collections exist,
developing an index and search algorithm with editing operations remains a
challenge. Edit distance with moves (EDM) is a string-to-string distance
measure that includes substring moves in addition to ordinal editing operations
to turn one string into another. Although the problem of computing EDM is
intractable, it has a wide range of potential applications, especially in
approximate string retrieval. Despite the importance of computing EDM, there
has been no efficient method for indexing and searching large text collections
based on the EDM measure. We propose the first algorithm, named string index
for edit distance with moves (siEDM), for indexing and searching strings with
EDM. The siEDM algorithm builds an index structure by leveraging the idea
behind the edit sensitive parsing (ESP), an efficient algorithm enabling
approximately computing EDM with guarantees of upper and lower bounds for the
exact EDM. siEDM efficiently prunes the space for searching query strings by
the proposed method, which enables fast query searches with the same guarantee
as ESP. We experimentally tested the ability of siEDM to index and search
strings on benchmark datasets, and we showed siEDM's efficiency.Comment: 23 page
Streptococcus thermophilus ST28 Ameliorates Colitis in Mice Partially by Suppression of Inflammatory Th17 Cells
The effects of Streptococcus thermophilus ST28 on cytokine production by murine splenocytes stimulated with transforming growth factor-β plus interleukin- (IL-) 6 were evaluated. The addition of ST28 significantly repressed IL-17 production compared to ATCC 19258 (type strain). ST28 also decreased the number of Th17 cells in the stimulated splenocytes. The anti-inflammatory effects of ST28 administration were evaluated in mice with colitis induced by dextran sodium sulphate (DSS). Oral treatment of mice with ST28 ameliorated the intestinal lesions by DSS. Upon DSS treatment, IL-17 production in lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs) was induced, but ST28 significantly decreased its production. ST28 also decreased the percentage of Th17 cells in LPL from DSS-induced colitis. The present results imply that ST28 suppresses the Th17 response in inflamed intestines and would be useful in the treatment of Th17-mediated diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease
Development and Performance of Kyoto's X-ray Astronomical SOI pixel (SOIPIX) sensor
We have been developing monolithic active pixel sensors, known as Kyoto's
X-ray SOIPIXs, based on the CMOS SOI (silicon-on-insulator) technology for
next-generation X-ray astronomy satellites. The event trigger output function
implemented in each pixel offers microsecond time resolution and enables
reduction of the non-X-ray background that dominates the high X-ray energy band
above 5--10 keV. A fully depleted SOI with a thick depletion layer and back
illumination offers wide band coverage of 0.3--40 keV. Here, we report recent
progress in the X-ray SOIPIX development. In this study, we achieved an energy
resolution of 300~eV (FWHM) at 6~keV and a read-out noise of 33~e- (rms) in the
frame readout mode, which allows us to clearly resolve Mn-K and
K. Moreover, we produced a fully depleted layer with a thickness of
. The event-driven readout mode has already been successfully
demonstrated.Comment: 7pages, 12figures, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation
2014, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. appears as Proc. SPIE 9147, Space Telescopes
and Instrumentation 2014: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ra
Neutrophil Depletion Exacerbates Pregnancy Complications, Including Placental Damage, Induced by Silica Nanoparticles in Mice
Recent advances in nanotechnology have led to the development of nanoparticles with innovative functions in various fields. However, the biological effects of nanoparticles—particularly those on the fetus—need to be investigated in detail, because several previous studies have shown that various nanoparticles induce pregnancy complications in mice. In this regard, our previous findings in mice suggested that the increase in peripheral neutrophil count induced by treatment with silica nanoparticles with a diameter of 70 nm (nSP70) may play a role in the associated pregnancy complications. Therefore, here, we sought to define the role of neutrophils in nSP70-induced pregnancy complications. The peripheral neutrophil count in pregnant BALB/c mice at 24 h after treatment with nSP70 was significantly higher than in saline-treated mice. In addition, maternal body weight, uterine weight, and the number of fetuses in nSP70-treated mice pretreated with anti-antibodies, which deplete neutrophils, were significantly lower than those in nSP70-treated mice pretreated with phosphate-buffered saline or isotype-matched control antibodies. Histology revealed that neutrophil depletion increased nSP70-induced placental damage from the decidua through the spongiotrophoblast layer and narrowed spiral arteries in the placentae. In addition, depletion of neutrophils augmented nSP70-induced cytotoxicity to fetal vessels, which were covered with endothelium. The rate of apoptotic cell death was significantly higher in the placentae of anti-nSP70-treated mice than in those from mice pretreated with isotype-matched control antibodies. Therefore, impairment of placental vessels and apoptotic cell death due to nSP70 exposure is exacerbated in the placentae of nSP70-treated mice pretreated with anti-antibodies. Depletion of neutrophils worsens nSP70-induced pregnancy complications in mice; this exacerbation was due to enhanced impairment of placental vessels and increased apoptotic cell death in maternal placentae. Our results provide basic information regarding the mechanism underlying silica-nanoparticle-induced pregnancy complications
QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS
We evaluated the quality of life (QOL) in 268 patients with diabetes mellitus (NIDDM, 250 cases; IDDM, 10 cases; and other type of diabetes, 8 cases) to determine which aspects were adversely affected by the disease. Information concerning life satisfaction, social activities, ability to work, sexual problems and physical symptoms was obtained from a 30-item questionnaire. Clinical characteristics including duration of diabetes, glycemic control, current treatment, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, macro- and microvascular complications were obtained from medical records. Diminished QOL was most pronounced in patients who had had a long duration of disease, required insulin therapy, and whose health was disturbed by cerebrovascular disease, end-stage renal disease, mono- and autonomic neuropathy. A significant difference in the subdimensional QOL score was noted in life satisfaction, social activities, ability to work, sexual problems and physical symptoms under these circumstances
多段階の泳速度におけるクロール泳中の自己推進時抵抗とストリームライン姿勢中の受動抵抗の比較
The purpose of this study was to compare active drag during front-crawl swimming performed by competitive swimmers with passive drag acting on the same group of swimmers with a streamlined position at various velocities. Seven male competitive swimmers participated in this study, and the testing was conducted in a swimming flume. Active drag was evaluated for front-crawl swimming with upper and lower limb motion using a methodology that estimates the drag in swimming using measured residual thrust values (MRT method). Passive drag was measured by a load cell connected to the swimmers with a streamlined position using a stainless-steel wire. In each case, drag was estimated at six staged velocities ranging from 1.0 to 1.5 m/s. To compare the drags at various velocities, we calculated coefficients a and b by applying the measured force value at each velocity to the equation D = a vb (D: drag, v: velocity). The active drag estimated from the MRT method (a = 35.7 ± 5.3, b = 2.80 ± 0.22) was larger than passive drag (a = 23.6 ± 3.1, b = 2.08 ± 0.23). Furthermore, the difference between active and passive drag was large at high velocities. Therefore, it is possible that the effects of factors other than posture and/or body shape have a large influence on active drag, especially at high velocity
Treatment results of two-stage operation for the patients with esophageal cancer concomitant with liver dysfunction
Purpose : The aim of this study was to clarify the usefulness of two-stage operation for the patients with esophageal cancer who have liver dysfunction. Methods : Eight patients with esophageal cancer concomitant with liver dysfunction who underwent two-stage operation were analyzed. The patients initially underwent an esophagectomy, a cervical esophagostomy and a tube jejunostomy, and reconstruction with gastric tube was performed after the recovery of patients’ condition. Results : The average time of the 1st and 2nd stage operation was 410.0 min and 438.9 min, respectively. The average amount of blood loss in the 1st and 2nd stage operation was 433.5 ml and 1556.8 ml, respectively. The average duration between the operations was 29.8 days. The antesternal route was selected for 5 patients (62.5%) and the retrosternal route was for 3 patients (37.5%). In the 1st stage operation, no postoperative complications were observed, while, complications developed in 5 (62.5%) patients, including 4 anastomotic leakages, after the 2nd stage operation. Pneumonia was not observed through two-stage operation. No in-hospital death was experienced. Conclusion : A two-stage operation might prevent the occurrence of critical postoperative complications for the patients with esophageal cancer concomitant with liver dysfunction
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