We discuss the novel problem of supporting analytical business intelligence queries over web-based textual content, e.g., BI-style reports based on 100.000's of documents from an ad-hoc web search result. Neither conventional search engines nor conventional Business Intelligence and ETL tools address this problem, which lies at the intersection of their capabilities. "Google Squared" or our system GOOLAP.info, are examples of these kinds of systems. They execute information extraction methods over one or several document collections at query time and integrate extracted records into a common view or tabular structure. Frequent extraction and object resolution failures cause incomplete records which could not be joined into a record answering the query. Our focus is the identification of join-reordering heuristics maximizing the size of complete records answering a structured query. With respect to given costs for document extraction we propose two novel join-operations: The multi-way CJ-operator joins records from multiple relationships extracted from a single document. The two-way join-operator DJ ensures data density by removing incomplete records from results. In a preliminary case study we observe that our join-reordering heuristics positively impact result size, record density and lower execution costs.

A releasable fastening device for securing workpieces together in a firm and intimate relationship is disclosed. The fastening device is sometimes referred to as a "blind fastener". The fastener comprises a bolt member including a head located on one end of the bolt and extending outwardly therefrom to support an upper workpiece and a shank with an annular recess, the shank being insertable within said through axially aligned apertures located in the workpieces. An expandable device, preferably in the form of a stiff spring is inserted and is confined within the annular recess. When the spring is in its expanded position, it extends beyond the shank along a bottom surface of a lower workpiece thereby along with the head on the bolt member holding the workpieces together in a mating relationship. A mechanism is included which releasably engages the spring and is capable of limiting the springs extension to within the annular recess to thereby allow the fastener to be inserted and withdrawn through the align apertures in the workpieces.

We discuss the novel problem of supporting analytical business intelligence queries over web-based textual content, e.g., BI-style reports based on 100.000’s of documents from an ad-hoc web search result. Neither conventional search engines nor conventional Business Intelligence and ETL tools address this problem, which lies at the intersection of their capabilities. “Google Squared” or our system GOOLAP.info, are examples of these kinds of systems. They execute information extraction methods over one or several document collections at query time and integrate extracted records into a common view or tabular structure. Frequent extraction and object resolution failures cause incomplete records which could not be joined into a record answering the query. Our focus is the identification of join-reordering heuristics maximizing the size of complete records answering a structured query. With respect to given costs for document extraction we propose two novel joinoperations: The multi-way CJ-operator joins records from multiple relationships extracted from a single document. The two-way join-operator DJ ensures data density by removing incomplete records from results. In a preliminary case study we observe that our join-reordering heuristics positively impact result size, record density and lower execution costs.

The carboxy-terminal (CT) ahnak domain encompassing ∼1000 amino acids (aa) has been implicated in cardiac Cav1.2 current (ICaL) modulation by interaction with the intracellular Cavβ2 subunit. Here we examined the requirement of a leucine zipper in ahnak-C1 (proximal ahnak CT, ∼600 aa) as well as of a PxxP motif in ahnak-C2 (distal ahnak CT, ∼400 aa) for β2 subunit binding. In ahnak-C1, surface plasmon resonance studies defined two populations of β2 subunit attachment sites without engagement of the leucine zipper motif. Importantly, β2 subunit phosphorylation by PKA abolished its interaction with one set of binding sites located around the natural occurring ahnak polymorphism I5236T. In ahnak-C2, the PxxP-core motif presents a critical interaction surface with the β2 subunit: high affinity, two site attachment (Kd1 ∼60 nM, Kd2 ∼250 nM) was converted into a single population of low affinity sites (Kd ∼1 μM) following mutation of PxxP into AxxA. However, the mutation did not abolish the functional effect of ahnak on ICaL as assessed on adult left ventricular rat cardiomyocytes under whole-cell patch clamp conditions. Intracellular perfusion with 5 μM of AxxA-mutated ahnak-C2 induced an marked increase in the fast time constant of ICaL inactivation from 5.1±0.4 ms to 7.9±0.4 ms, an effect very similar to that of the wild-type ahnak peptide. Thus, our data demonstrate the importance of low affinity interaction between ahnak CT and Cavβ2 for different aspects of ICaL physiology such as PKA modulation and inactivation.

In this study we investigated whether the expression of N-terminal myosin light chain-1 (MLC-1) peptides could improve the intrinsic contractility of the whole heart. We generated transgenic rats (TGR) that overexpressed minigenes encoding the N-terminal 15 amino acids of human atrial MLC-1 (TGR/hALC-1/1-15, lines 7475 and 3966) or human ventricular MLC-1 (TGR/hVLC-1/1-15, lines 6113 and 6114) isoforms in cardiomyocytes. Synthetic N-terminal peptides revealed specific actin binding, with a significantly (P<0.01) lower dissociation constant (K(D)) for the hVLC-1/1-15-actin complex compared with the K(D) value of the hALC-1/1-15-actin complex. Using synthetic hVLC-1/1-15 as a TAT fusion peptide labeled with the fluorochrome TAMRA, we observed specific accumulation of the N-terminal MLC-1 peptide at the sarcomere predominantly within the actin-containing I-band, but also within the actin-myosin overlap zone (A-band) in intact adult cardiomyocytes. For the first time we show that the expression of N-terminal human MLC-1 peptides in TGR (range: 3-6 muM) correlated positively with significant (P<0.001) improvements of the intrinsic contractile state of the isolated perfused heart (Langendorff mode): systolic force generation, as well as the rates of both force generation and relaxation, rose in TGR lines that expressed the transgenic human MLC-1 peptide, but not in a TGR line with undetectable transgene expression levels. The positive inotropic effect of MLC-1 peptides occurred in the absence of a hypertrophic response. Thus, expression of N-terminal domains of MLC-1 represent a valuable tool for the treatment of the failing heart.