Guidelines and recommendations on yeast cell death nomenclature

lucidating the biology of yeast in its full complexity has major implications for science, medicine and industry. One of the most critical processes determining yeast life and physiology is cel- lular demise. However, the investigation of yeast cell death is a relatively young field, and a widely accepted set of concepts and terms is still missing. Here, we propose unified criteria for the defi- nition of accidental, regulated, and programmed forms of cell death in yeast based on a series of morphological and biochemical criteria. Specifically, we provide consensus guidelines on the differ- ential definition of terms including apoptosis, regulated necrosis, and autophagic cell death, as we refer to additional cell death rou- tines that are relevant for the biology of (at least some species of) yeast. As this area of investigation advances rapidly, changes and extensions to this set of recommendations will be implemented in the years to come. Nonetheless, we strongly encourage the au- thors, reviewers and editors of scientific articles to adopt these collective standards in order to establish an accurate framework for yeast cell death research and, ultimately, to accelerate the pro- gress of this vibrant field of research

Entropy coding for training deep belief networks with imbalanced and unlabeled data

Session 1aSCb - Speech Communication: Speech Processing Potpourri (Poster Session): no. 1aSCb1Training deep belief networks (DBNs) is normally done with large data sets. In this work, the goal is to predict traces of the surface of the tongue in ultrasoundimages of the mouth during speech. Performance on this task can be dramatically enhanced by pre-training a DBN jointly on human-supplied traces and ultrasoundimages, then training a modified version of the network to predict traces from ultrasound only. However, hand-tracing the entire dataset of ultrasoundimages is extremely labor intensive. Moreover, the dataset is highly imbalanced since many images are extremely similar. This work presents a bootstrapping method which takes advantage of this imbalance, iteratively selecting a small subset of images to be hand-traced, then (re)training the DBN, making use of an entropy-based diversity measure for the initial selection. With this approach, a three-fold reduction in human time required to trace an entire dataset with human-level accuracy was achieved.published_or_final_versio

Mitralklappenendokarditis nach türkischem Opferfest

Zusammenfassung: Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae ist der Erreger des Schweinerotlaufs. Systemische Infektionen durch E.rhusiopathiae sind eine Rarität, jedoch häufig (zu 90%) mit Endokarditiden verbunden. Ungefähr 60% der Endokarditiden entwickeln sich auf nicht vorgeschädigten Klappen, und trotz adäquater antibiotischer Therapie benötigen etwa ein Drittel der Patienten einen Klappenersatz. Wir beschreiben den Fall einer Hausfrau, die nach Zubereitung von Fleisch für das türkische Opferfest eine Mitralklappenendokarditis durch E.rhusiopathiae entwickelt

Optimizing single-photon-source heralding efficiency at 1550 nm using periodically poled lithium niobate

We explore the feasibility of using high conversion-efficiency periodically-poled crystals to produce photon pairs for photon-counting detector calibrations at 1550 nm. The goal is the development of an appropriate parametric down-conversion (PDC) source at telecom wavelengths meeting the requirements of high-efficiency pair production and collection in single spectral and spatial modes (single-mode fibers). We propose a protocol to optimize the photon collection, noise levels and the uncertainty evaluation. This study ties together the results of our efforts to model the single-mode heralding efficiency of a two-photon PDC source and to estimate the heralding uncertainty of such a source.Comment: 14 pages, 2 tables and 3 figures, final version accepted by Metrologi

Theoretical analysis of the electronic structure of the stable and metastable c(2x2) phases of Na on Al(001): Comparison with angle-resolved ultra-violet photoemission spectra

Using Kohn-Sham wave functions and their energy levels obtained by density-functional-theory total-energy calculations, the electronic structure of the two c(2x2) phases of Na on Al(001) are analysed; namely, the metastable hollow-site structure formed when adsorption takes place at low temperature, and the stable substitutional structure appearing when the substrate is heated thereafter above ca. 180K or when adsorption takes place at room temperature from the beginning. The experimentally obtained two-dimensional band structures of the surface states or resonances are well reproduced by the calculations. With the help of charge density maps it is found that in both phases, two pronounced bands appear as the result of a characteristic coupling between the valence-state band of a free c(2x2)-Na monolayer and the surface-state/resonance band of the Al surfaces; that is, the clean (001) surface for the metastable phase and the unstable, reconstructed "vacancy" structure for the stable phase. The higher-lying band, being Na-derived, remains metallic for the unstable phase, whereas it lies completely above the Fermi level for the stable phase, leading to the formation of a surface-state/resonance band-structure resembling the bulk band-structure of an ionic crystal.Comment: 11 pages, 11 postscript figures, published in Phys. Rev. B 57, 15251 (1998). Other related publications can be found at http://www.rz-berlin.mpg.de/th/paper.htm

Optimal focusing for maximal collection of entangled narrow-band photon pairs into single-mode fibers

We present a theoretical and experimental investigation of the emission characteristics and the flux of photon pairs generated by spontaneous parametric downconversion in quasi-phase matched bulk crystals for the use in quantum communication sources. We show that, by careful design, one can attain well defined modes close to the fundamental mode of optical fibers and obtain high coupling efficiencies also for bulk crystals, these being more easily aligned than crystal waveguides. We distinguish between singles coupling, conditional coincidence, and pair coupling, and show how each of these parameters can be maximized by varying the focusing of the pump mode and the fiber-matched modes using standard optical elements. Specifically we analyze a periodically poled KTP-crystal pumped by a 532 nm laser creating photon pairs at 810 nm and 1550 nm. Numerical calculations lead to coupling efficiencies above 94% at optimal focusing, which is found by the geometrical relation L/z_R to be ~ 1 to 2 for the pump mode and ~ 2 to 3 for the fiber-modes, where L is the crystal length and z_R is the Rayleigh-range of the mode-profile. These results are independent on L. By showing that the single-mode bandwidth decreases as 1/L, we can therefore design the source to produce and couple narrow bandwidth photon pairs well into the fibers. Smaller bandwidth means both less chromatic dispersion for long propagation distances in fibers, and that telecom Bragg gratings can be utilized to compensate for broadened photon packets--a vital problem for time-multiplexed qubits. Longer crystals also yield an increase in fiber photon flux proportional to sqrt{L}, and so, assuming correct focusing, we can only see advantages using long crystals.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, ReVTeX4, minor revisio

Anatomy of the anterior cruciate ligament

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a band of dense connective tissue which courses from the femur to the tibia. The ACL is a key structure in the knee joint, as it resists anterior tibial translation and rotational loads. When the knee is extended, the ACL has a mean length of 32mm and a width of 7-12mm. There are two components of the ACL, the anteromedial bundle (AMB) and the posterolateral bundle (PLB). They are not isometric with the main change being lengthening of the AMB and shortening of the PLB during flexion. The ACL has a microstructure of collagen bundles of multiple types (mostly type I) and a matrix made of a network of proteins, glycoproteins, elastic systems, and glycosaminoglycans with multiple functional interactions. The complex ultrastructural organization and abundant elastic system of the ACL allow it to withstand multiaxial stresses and varying tensile strains. The ACL is innervated by posterior articular branches of the tibial nerve and is vascularized by branches of the middle genicular arter

An in vitro anatomic model of the human cerebral arteries with saccular arterial aneurysms

Summary: Anin vitro model of the main human cerebral arteries with or without saccular arterial aneurysms is presented. A cast of the cerebral arteries was obtained in a human specimen. Three aneurysms were simulated and added to the cast. Wax copies of the cast were produced, and embedded with liquid resin solidifying into solid blocks. After evacuation of the wax, a model consisting of a hollow reproduction of the cast within the resin block was obtained. The model is reproducible and anatomically accurate. Since it is transparent to visible light, and compatible with x-ray, magnetic resonance and transcranial doppler techniques, it should prove useful for a wide range of haemodynamic and radiologic investigations. The reported technique may be adapted to any structure with a hollow configuration, allowing for the preparation of arterial and venous models from other vascular areas, as well as models from other anatomic systems, such as the biliary or urinary tract