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The propagation of torsional waves generated during earthquakes or mechanical explosions encounter various anomalies like layered structure, crustal inhomogeneities, geomagnetic field, viscosity ...etc. These anomalies significantly change the governing characteristics of propagating seismic waves. In the present study the authors explored the torsional-surface-wave propagation in a homogeneous magneto-viscoelastic layer over an inhomogeneous magneto-isotropic substratum. A closed-form solution for displacements in layer and substratum is found and the generalized absorption-dispersion relation is derived analytically. The characteristics of torsional waves in some simpler geometry have been deduced as particular cases to the present study. The impact of inhomogeneities-free lower substratum and the absence of magnetic field from layer and substratum is further investigated using numerical simulations and results were analyzed using implicit contour plotting.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Densities and speeds of sound of ternary o-chlorotoluene (1) + tetrahydropyran (2) + benzene or toluene or o-xylene (3) mixtures and their sub-binaries o-chlorotoluene (1) + toluene or o-xylene (2) ...at (298.15, 303.15, and 308.15) K have been measured, and of tetrahydropyran (1) + benzene or toluene or o-xylene (2) mixtures at (298.15 and 303.15) K and 0.1 MPa. Excess molar volumes, V 123 E and V E, and excess isentropic compressibilities, (κS E)123 and κS E, have been computed from experimental data. The V 123 E for o-chlorotoluene (1) + tetrahydropyran (2) + o-xylene (3) and (κS E)123 for o-chlorotoluene (1) + tetrahydropyran (2) + benzene or toluene or o-xylene (3) are negative over the entire mole fraction of 1 and 2. However, the sign and magnitude of V 123 E for o-chlorotoluene (1) + tetrahydropyran (2) + benzene or toluene (3) mixtures are dictated by the relative proportion of the constituents. The excess functions have been analyzed in terms of Graph theory, Prigogine–Flory–Patterson theory, and Sanchez and Lacombe’s theories.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
New classes of α/γ- and β/γ-hybrid peptides have been synthesized with novel 12/10- and 11/13-mixed helical patterns, respectively. The α/γ-peptides were derived from the dipeptide repeats with ...alternating arrays of l-Ala and γ-Caa(l) (C-linked carbo-γ-amino acid from d-mannose), which generated a new 12/10-mixed helix, for the first time, without a β-amino acid. The β/γ-peptides made from an alternating arrangement of β-Caa(x) (C-linked carbo-β-amino acid) and γ-Caa(x) (C-linked carbo-γ-amino acid from d-xylose), on the other hand, resulted in an unprecedented 11/13-helix. The secondary structures in these peptides have been ascertained from detailed NMR studies, and CD spectroscopy and molecular dynamics investigations provided additional support for the structures derived.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Background
Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) repeatedly identified 1q23 (FCER1A), 5q31 (RAD50‐IL13 and IL4), and 12q13 (STAT6) as major susceptibility loci influencing the regulation of total ...serum IgE levels. As GWAS may be insufficient to capture causal variants, we performed fine‐mapping and re‐genotyping of the three loci using 1000 Genomes Project datasets.
Methods
Linkage disequilibrium tagging polymorphisms and polymorphisms of putative functional relevance were genotyped by chip technology (24 polymorphisms) or MALDI‐TOF‐MS (40 polymorphisms) in at least 1303 German children (651 asthmatics). The effect of polymorphisms on total serum IgE, IgE percentiles, and atopic diseases was assessed, and a risk score model was applied for gene‐by‐gene interaction analyses. Functional effects of putative causal variants from these three loci were studied in silico.
Results
Associations from GWAS were confirmed and extended. For 1q23 and 5q31, the majority of associations were found with mild to moderately elevated IgE levels, while in the 12q13 locus, single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with strongly elevated IgE levels. Gene‐by‐gene interaction analyses suggested that the presence of mutations in all three loci increases the risk for elevated IgE up to fourfold.
Conclusion
This fine‐mapping study confirmed previous associations and identified novel associations of SNPs in 1q23, 5q31, and 12q13 with different levels of serum IgE and their concomitant contribution to IgE regulation.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
OBJECTIVE:To determine the yield of colorectal cancer at routine colonic evaluation after radiologically proven acute diverticulitis.
BACKGROUND:Acute diverticulitis accounts for 152,000 ...hospitalizations in the United States alone. Current guidelines recommend routine colonic evaluation after acute diverticulitis to confirm the diagnosis and exclude malignancy. However, research suggests that the yield of colorectal cancer after computed tomography–proven uncomplicated diverticulitis may be low. In the era of widespread computed tomographic scanning for diverticulitis, routine colonic evaluation after diverticulitis may represent a nonessential burden on health care resources.
METHODS:The PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, BIREME, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched. Original studies of colonic evaluation after proven acute diverticulitis were included. Meta-analysis of data from included studies was performed using a DerSimonian Laird random effect proportion analysis.
RESULTS:Eleven studies from 7 countries were included in the analysis. Out of a pooled population of 1970 patients, cancer was found in 22. The pooled proportional estimate of malignancy was 1.6% (95% confidence interval CI, 0.9%−2.8%). Of the 1497 patients with uncomplicated diverticulitis, cancer was found in 5 (proportional estimate of risk 0.7%; CI, 0.3%−1.4%). Of the 79 patients with complicated disease, cancer was found in 6 (proportion estimate of risk 10.8%; CI, 5.2%−21.0%).
CONCLUSIONS:The risk of malignancy after a radiologically proven episode of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis is low. In the absence of other indications, routine colonoscopy may not be necessary. Patients with complicated diverticulitis still have a significant risk of colorectal cancer at subsequent colonic evaluation.
Using agro-morphological characters and microsatellite markers, advance breeding lines of rice were discriminated for their ability to tolerate drought stress at reproductive stage. Experimental ...materials consisting of 17 advance breeding lines and a check were evaluated in randomized block design with three replications under irrigated condition and drought condition created under rainout shelter during three consecutive years. An analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes for all the ten agro-morphological characters evaluated under both the conditions across the years. Principal component analysis showed the relative importance of root length, number of tillers per plant, number of grains per panicle, harvest index and grain yield per plant among agro-morphological characters and stress tolerance level, stress susceptibility index, stress tolerance index and drought tolerance efficiency among drought tolerance indices as the important classification variables. Relative mean performance in respect of grain yield as well as drought tolerance indices reflected remarkably greater degree of drought tolerance in 11 advance breeding lines and the check, discriminating them from remaining entries under evaluation. Utilizing a panel of 32 microsatellite primers, selective amplification of targeted genomic regions revealed that the primers RM 72, RM 163, RM 212, RM 225, RM 231, RM 302, RM 327, RM 518, RM 521, RM 555, RM 1349, RM 3549 and RM 5443 were highly informative with greater gene diversity and discrimination ability. Hierarchical cluster analysis based on molecular profiles discriminated the entries into five genotypic groups and drought tolerant entries were accommodated into three distinct groups with remarkably greater efficiency (85.7%). Principal coordinate analysis based two dimensional plots of microsatellites dependent genetic profiles displayed a very close correspondence with the genotypic clustering pattern revealed from a perusal of dendrogram. Sequential exclusion of primers in cluster analysis led to identification of RM 212, RM 231, RM 324, RM 431, RM 521, RM 3549 and RM 6374 as the most useful primers for discrimination of drought tolerant and susceptible lines of rice. Molecular profiling based on these markers can be utilized as efficient tools for discrimination and identification of drought tolerant lines.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
This study presents the exploration of laccase-like enzyme produced by thermophilic bacterial strains present in the Tattapani hotspring located in Chhattisgarh, India. Two bacterial isolates namely ...TPNR1 and TPNR6 were found to be positive for laccase-like enzyme production on screening with guaiacol as a substrate. The biochemical and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the isolates have similarity with
Bacillus licheniformis
strains and, thus, named as
B. licheniformis
TPNR1 and
B. licheniformis
TPNR6. The activity of crude enzymes was estimated using 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) as a substrate and measured as 3.1 U/mL and 7.1 U/mL for TPNR1 and TPNR6, respectively. The SDS-PAGE of purified enzymes showed that the enzymes are monomers with molecular weight of 44 (TPNR1) and 38 (TPNR6) kDa. The native-PAGE technique followed by activity staining using ABTS confirms the presence of purified active enzyme with laccase-like activity in both cases. Kinetic studies displayed that catalytic efficiency of the enzymes was higher for the substrate ABTS than 2,6-dimethoxyphenol for both enzymes. The maximum enzyme activity was observed at 50°C for both enzymes while the optimal pH for TPNR1 and TPNR6 was 5.0 and 6.0, respectively. The TPNR1 exhibited half-life of 4 h at 70°C and was stable at 60°C for 180 min with a residual activity of 79%. Similarly, the TPNR6 possessed half-life of 3.1 h at 70°C and retained 88% of its activity at 60°C for 180 min. In addition, the catalytic efficiency of the enzymes was tested by decolourization of toxic dyes which showed that the both enzymes are highly potential to degrade them.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Advances have occurred in the development of safe and effective ablative therapies for Barrett's esophagus. The aim of the current study was to perform an economic analysis evaluating the ...cost-effectiveness of endoscopic ablation of nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus.
A Markov model evaluated three competing strategies in a hypothetical 50-year-old cohort with nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus from a societal perspective. Strategy I -- natural history of Barrett's disease (without surveillance); Strategy II -- surveillance performed according to the American College of Gastroenterology practice guidelines; Strategy III -- endoscopic ablative therapy. The model was biased against ablative therapy with a conservative estimate of complete response and continued standard surveillance even after complete ablation. All potential complications were accounted for, and an incomplete histological response after ablation was presumed to have the same risk of progression as untreated Barrett's. Transitional probabilities, discounted cost, and utility values to estimate quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) were obtained from published information. Direct costs were used in our analysis.
In baseline analysis, the ablative strategy yielded the highest QALY and was more cost-effective than endoscopic surveillance. In a Monte Carlo analysis, the relative risk of developing cancer in the strategy based on endoscopic ablation was decreased compared with the other strategies. In threshold analysis, the critical determinants of cost-effectiveness of the ablative strategy were rate of complete response to ablation, total cost of ablation, and risk of progression to dysplasia.
Within the limits of the model, ablation for nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus is more cost-effective than endoscopic surveillance. Clinical trials of ablative therapy in nondysplastic Barrett's esophagus are needed to establish its effectiveness in reducing cancer risk.
In this article we present a perspective on the current state of the art in the photoionization of atomic clusters in few-cycle near-infrared laser pulses. Recently, several studies have reported ...intriguing phenomena associated with the photoionization of clusters by pulses as short as ∼10 fs which approach the natural timescales of collective electronic motion in such nanoscale aggregates. In contrast to the dynamics occurring on few- and sub-picosecond timescales where ionic motion sets in and plays a key role marked by resonant plasmon oscillations, the few-cycle limit precludes cluster expansion due to the nuclear motion of ionic constituents. Thus, pulses lasting just a few optical cycles explore a new "impulsive" regime for the first time in cluster nanoplasmas wherein ions essentially remain "frozen". Along with the perspective on this new regime, we present first measurements of photoelectron distributions and temperatures.
In this article we present a perspective on the current state of the art in the photoionization of atomic clusters in few-cycle near-infrared laser pulses.
