In a constrained shortest path (CSP) query, each edge in the road network is associated with both a length and a cost. Given an origin s, a destination t, and a cost constraint θ, the goal is to find the shortest path from s to t whose total cost does not exceed θ. Because exact CSP is NP-hard, previous work mostly focuses on approximate solutions. Even so, existing methods are still prohibitiv...

Pulmonary hemorrhage is an increasing cause of death of leptospirosis patients. Bacterial collagenase has been shown to be involved in lung hemorrhage induced by various infectious agents. According to Leptospira whole genome study, colA, a gene suggested to code for bacterial collagenase has been identified. We investigated colA gene expression in lung tissues of Leptospira infected hamsters. ...

A limitation in carbon dioxide (CO₂), which occurs as a result of natural environmental variation, suppresses photosynthesis and has the potential to cause photo-oxidative damage to photosynthetic cells. Oxygenic phototrophs have strategies to alleviate photo-oxidative damage to allow life in present atmospheric CO₂ conditions. However, the mechanisms for CO₂ limitation acclimation are diverse ...

We read with interest the article by Jensen et al. (1) on the association between semen quality and caffeine intake among 2,554 young Danish men. They found a high intake of cola and/or caffeine products to be associated with reduced sperm concentration and total sperm count, but the association was statistically significant only for cola. Jensen et al. (1) cited a previous study conducted by o...

OBJECTIVE To report a rare case of hypokalemic rhabdomyolysis induced by the heavy and prolonged ingestion of cola-based beverages, and its uneventful recovery after kalemia normalization. METHODS We report a 38-year-old Caucasian male presented in our emergency room with a recent and progressive weakness of the lower limbs proximal muscles. RESULTS A dietary history revealed a prolonged in...

BACKGROUND Dental erosion is a common problem in modern societies, owing to the increased consumption of acid drinks such as soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit juice. Examining the enamel surface with the Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) enables more precise registering and defining the changes of enamel surface structure and microhardness. This method can be used to compare the efficiency of appli...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two soft drinks, Coca-Cola and Mirinda orange on bracket bond strength, on adhesive remnant on teeth after debonding the bracket, and to observe by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM) the effect of these drinks on intact and sealed enamel. METHODS 120 non-carious maxillary premolar teeth already extracted for...

Preliminary data in the literature indicate that iron absorption from a meal may be increased when consumed with low-pH beverages such as cola, and it is also possible that sugar iron complexes may alter iron availability. A randomized, crossover trial was conducted to compare the bioavailability of nonheme iron from a vegetarian pizza meal when consumed with 3 different beverages (cola, diet c...

There are rising public health concerns about the links between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain, obesity, and other metabolic problems. Sodium citrate (Na-citrate) is used as an additive in colas and various commercial drinks worldwide. Although potassium citrate (K-citrate) has been prescribed and well accepted by urologists for treating urinary stone disease (urolithi...

Colicin A (ColA) is a water-soluble toxin that forms a voltage-gated channel in the cytoplasmic membrane of Escherichia coli. Until now, two models were proposed for the closed channel state: the umbrella model and the penknife model. Mutants of ColA, each containing a single cysteine, were labeled with a nitroxide spin label, reconstituted into liposomes, and studied by electron paramagnetic r...