Circadian and Ultradian Rhythms of Free Glucocorticoid Hormone Are Highly Synchronized between the Blood, the Subcutaneous Tissue, and the Brain

Total glucocorticoid hormone levels in plasma of various species, including humans, follow a circadian rhythm that is made up from an underlying series of hormone pulses. In blood most of the glucocorticoid is bound to corticosteroid-binding globulin and albumin, resulting in low levels of free hormone. Although only the free fraction is biologically active, surprisingly little is known about the rhythms of free glucocorticoid hormones. We used single-probe microdialysis to measure directly the free corticosterone levels in the blood of freely behaving rats. Free corticosterone in the blood shows a distinct circadian and ultradian rhythm with a pulse frequency of approximately one pulse per hour together with an increase in hormone levels and pulse height toward the active phase of the light/dark cycle. Similar rhythms were also evident in the subcutaneous tissue, demonstrating that free corticosterone rhythms are transferred from the blood into peripheral target tissues. Furthermore, in a dual-probe microdialysis study, we demonstrated that the circadian and ultradian rhythms of free corticosterone in the blood and the subcutaneous tissue were highly synchronized. Moreover, free corticosterone rhythms were also synchronous between the blood and the hippocampus. These data demonstrate for the first time an ultradian rhythm of free corticosterone in the blood that translates into synchronized rhythms of free glucocorticoid hormone in peripheral and central tissues. The maintenance of ultradian rhythms across tissue barriers in both the periphery and the brain has important implications for research into aberrant biological rhythms in disease and for the development of improved protocols for glucocorticoid therapy

Level-Based Analysis of the Population-Based Incremental Learning Algorithm

The Population-Based Incremental Learning (PBIL) algorithm uses a convex combination of the current model and the empirical model to construct the next model, which is then sampled to generate offspring. The Univariate Marginal Distribution Algorithm (UMDA) is a special case of the PBIL, where the current model is ignored. Dang and Lehre (GECCO 2015) showed that UMDA can optimise LeadingOnes efficiently. The question still remained open if the PBIL performs equally well. Here, by applying the level-based theorem in addition to Dvoretzky--Kiefer--Wolfowitz inequality, we show that the PBIL optimises function LeadingOnes in expected time $\mathcal{O}(n\lambda \log \lambda + n^2)$ for a population size $\lambda = \Omega(\log n)$, which matches the bound of the UMDA. Finally, we show that the result carries over to BinVal, giving the fist runtime result for the PBIL on the BinVal problem.Comment: To appea

Fourth order indirect integration method for black hole perturbations: even modes

On the basis of a recently proposed strategy of finite element integration in time domain for partial differential equations with a singular source term, we present a fourth order algorithm for non-rotating black hole perturbations in the Regge-Wheeler gauge. Herein, we address even perturbations induced by a particle plunging in. The forward time value at the upper node of the $(r^*,t)$ grid cell is obtained by an algebraic sum of i) the preceding node values of the same cell, ii) analytic expressions, related to the jump conditions on the wave function and its derivatives, iii) the values of the wave function at adjacent cells. In this approach, the numerical integration does not deal with the source and potential terms directly, for cells crossed by the particle world line. This scheme has also been applied to circular and eccentric orbits and it will be object of a forthcoming publication.Comment: This series of papers deals with EMRI for LISA. With the respect to the v1 version, the algorithm has been improved; convergence tests and references have been added; v2 is composed by 23 pages, and 6 figures. Paper accepted by Class. Quantum Gravity for the special issue on Theory Meets Data Analysis at Comparable and Extreme Mass Ratios (Capra and NRDA) at Perimeier Institute in June 201

Near-Optimal Scheduling for LTL with Future Discounting

We study the search problem for optimal schedulers for the linear temporal logic (LTL) with future discounting. The logic, introduced by Almagor, Boker and Kupferman, is a quantitative variant of LTL in which an event in the far future has only discounted contribution to a truth value (that is a real number in the unit interval [0, 1]). The precise problem we study---it naturally arises e.g. in search for a scheduler that recovers from an internal error state as soon as possible---is the following: given a Kripke frame, a formula and a number in [0, 1] called a margin, find a path of the Kripke frame that is optimal with respect to the formula up to the prescribed margin (a truly optimal path may not exist). We present an algorithm for the problem; it works even in the extended setting with propositional quality operators, a setting where (threshold) model-checking is known to be undecidable

Extreme objects with arbitrary large mass, or density, and arbitrary size

We consider a generalization of the interior Schwarzschild solution that we match to the exterior one to build global C^1 models that can have arbitrary large mass, or density, with arbitrary size. This is possible because of a new insight into the problem of localizing the center of symmetry of the models and the use of principal transformations to understand the structure of space.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures. Fixed one reference. Added a new equatio

A dynamic logic for every season

This paper introduces a method to build dynamic logics with a graded semantics. The construction is parametrized by a structure to support both the spaces of truth and of the domain of computations. Possible instantiations of the method range from classical assertional) dynamic logic to less common graded logics suitable to deal with programs whose transitional semantics exhibits fuzzy or weighted behaviour.This leads to the systematic derivation of program logics tailored to specific program classes

Mutations in Nonessential eIF3k and eIF3l Genes Confer Lifespan Extension and Enhanced Resistance to ER Stress in Caenorhabditis elegans

The translation initiation factor eIF3 is a multi-subunit protein complex that coordinates the assembly of the 43S pre-initiation complex in eukaryotes. Prior studies have demonstrated that not all subunits of eIF3 are essential for the initiation of translation, suggesting that some subunits may serve regulatory roles. Here, we show that loss-of-function mutations in the genes encoding the conserved eIF3k and eIF3l subunits of the translation initiation complex eIF3 result in a 40% extension in lifespan and enhanced resistance to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in Caenorhabditis elegans. In contrast to previously described mutations in genes encoding translation initiation components that confer lifespan extension in C. elegans, loss-of-function mutations in eif-3.K or eif-3.L are viable, and mutants show normal rates of growth and development, and have wild-type levels of bulk protein synthesis. Lifespan extension resulting from EIF-3.K or EIF-3.L deficiency is suppressed by a mutation in the Forkhead family transcription factor DAF-16. Mutations in eif-3.K or eif-3.L also confer enhanced resistance to ER stress, independent of IRE-1-XBP-1, ATF-6, and PEK-1, and independent of DAF-16. Our data suggest a pivotal functional role for conserved eIF3k and eIF3l accessory subunits of eIF3 in the regulation of cellular and organismal responses to ER stress and agingNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Grant R01-GM084477)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (Pre-Doctoral Training Grant T32GM007287

Основні закономірності зародження і росту втомних тріщин в алюмінієвих пластинах із зміцненими отворами

The method of modeling stress-strain state for holes burnishing using FEM has been analyzed. A series of fatigue tests were carried out using plates containing plain holes and cold expanded holes in aluminium For various diameters of holes and cold expansion degree there exists a certain correlation between the stress range or maximum stress on the edge of hole on the entrance face of plate and lifetime of fatigue crack initiation

Integrated Structure and Semantics for Reo Connectors and Petri Nets

In this paper, we present an integrated structural and behavioral model of Reo connectors and Petri nets, allowing a direct comparison of the two concurrency models. For this purpose, we introduce a notion of connectors which consist of a number of interconnected, user-defined primitives with fixed behavior. While the structure of connectors resembles hypergraphs, their semantics is given in terms of so-called port automata. We define both models in a categorical setting where composition operations can be elegantly defined and integrated. Specifically, we formalize structural gluings of connectors as pushouts, and joins of port automata as pullbacks. We then define a semantical functor from the connector to the port automata category which preserves this composition. We further show how to encode Reo connectors and Petri nets into this model and indicate applications to dynamic reconfigurations modeled using double pushout graph transformation

Algorithms (X,sigma,eta) : quasi-random mutations for Evolution Strategies

International audienceRandomization is an efficient tool for global optimization. We here define a method which keeps : - the order 0 of evolutionary algorithms (no gradient) ; - the stochastic aspect of evolutionary algorithms ; - the efficiency of so-called "low-dispersion" points ; and which ensures under mild assumptions global convergence with linear convergence rate. We use i) sampling on a ball instead of Gaussian sampling (in a way inspired by trust regions), ii) an original rule for step-size adaptation ; iii) quasi-monte-carlo sampling (low dispersion points) instead of Monte-Carlo sampling. We prove in this framework linear convergence rates i) for global optimization and not only local optimization ; ii) under very mild assumptions on the regularity of the function (existence of derivatives is not required). Though the main scope of this paper is theoretical, numerical experiments are made to backup the mathematical results. Algorithm XSE: quasi-random mutations for evolution strategies. A. Auger, M. Jebalia, O. Teytaud. Proceedings of EA'2005