Overlapping habitats and sharing of resources between elephants and people has led to intense elephant‐human conflicts, especially crop depredation by elephants, across elephant‐range countries. ...While raiding agricultural crops, elephants face numerous threats from people through chase, injury and the risk of death which could enhance the associated energetic costs, ultimately elevating their stress levels. We hypothesized that crop‐raiders (in the human‐production habitat) would show higher faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels, a proxy of stress‐response, as compared to nonraiders (in protected forests). To study this, 208 faecal samples were collected from crop‐raiding elephants in a human‐production habitat and 394 samples from nonraiding elephants in protected forests during 2013 and 2015. Contrary to our expectation, fGCM levels were significantly higher in nonraiding than in crop‐raiding elephants of both sexes. As one of the possible factors for lower fGCM in elephants inhabiting the human‐production habitat, the influence of benefits obtained from foraging here was assessed. For this, the difference in vegetation greenness (standing biomass) between the human‐production habitat and the protected forests was analysed from remotely‐sensed Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI), and further confirmed by measuring dietary quality (faecal nitrogen (N) content and C:N ratio as proxies for crude protein). Interestingly, higher NDVI values (greater biomass availability), higher N content and lower faecal C:N ratio (indicating higher protein content in the diet) of elephants in the human‐production habitat suggested enhanced nutritional levels here as compared to protected forests. Further, there were significant correlations between faecal C:N ratio (positive) or N content (negative) and fGCM levels. These findings suggest that crop‐raiding comes with the benefits of a superior quality diet which may help in reducing human‐induced stress‐response in elephants inhabiting or foraging within human‐production habitats.
We assessed physiological stress in crop‐raiding and nonraiding Asian elephants by measuring faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCMs). Contrary to our expectation that crop‐raiding elephants in a human‐production habitat would show higher fGCM levels, we found that fGCM levels were significantly higher in nonraiding elephants living in protected forests. We further investigated possible reasons for this pattern by comparing the influence of habitat quality (Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) for greenness), and dietary quality (faecal nitrogen (N) content and C:N ratio as proxies for crude protein). Higher NDVI values (greater biomass), higher faecal N content and lower faecal C:N ratio (indicating higher protein content in the diet) of elephants indicated superior nutritional levels in the human‐production habitat. The strong association between faecal C:N ratio (positive correlation) or N content (negative correlation) and fGCM levels suggested that dietary quality could possibly help in ?pacifying’ any human‐induced stress in elephants living in human‐production habitats.
Modeling a Nb3Sn cryounit in GPT at UITF Pokharel, S; Hofler, A S; Krafft, G A
Journal of physics. Conference series,
01/2023, Letnik:
2420, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Nb3Sn is a prospective material for future superconducting radio frequency (SRF) accelerator cavities. Compared to conventional niobium, the material can achieve higher quality factors, higher ...temperature operation, and potentially higher accelerating gradients (Eacc ≈ 96 MV/m). In this work, we performed modeling of the Upgraded Injector Test Facility (UITF) at Jefferson Lab utilizing newly constructed Nb3Sn cavities. We studied the effects of the buncher cavity and varied the gun voltage from 200-500 keV. We have calibrated and optimized the SRF cavity gradients and phases for the Nb3Sn five-cell cavities’ energy gains with the framework of the General Particle Tracer (GPT). Our calculations show the beam goes cleanly through the unit. There is full energy gain out of the second SRF cavity but not from the first SRF cavity due to non-relativistic phase shifts.
Essentials
The role of von Willebrand factor (VWF) domains in regulating platelet adhesion was studied in vivo.
Multimeric VWF with spacers at the N‐ and C‐terminus of VWF‐A1 were systematically ...tested.
N‐terminal modified VWF avidly bound platelet GpIbα, causing VWD Type2B like phenotype in mice.
Novel anti‐D'D3 mAbs suggest that changes at the D'D3‐A1 interface may be biologically relevant.
Summary
Background
Previous ex vivo studies using truncated VWF (von Willebrand factor) suggest that domain‐level molecular architecture may control platelet‐GpIbα binding function.
Objective
We determined if this is the case with multimeric VWF in vivo.
Methods
Full‐length human VWF (‘hV’) was modified with a 22‐amino acid mucinous stretch at either the N‐terminus of VWF‐A1 to create ‘hNV’ or C‐terminus to yield ‘hCV’. This extends the physical distance between VWF‐A1 and the adjacent domains by ~6 nm. Similar mucin inserts were also introduced into a human‐murine chimera (‘hmA1V’) where murine‐A1 replaced human‐A1 in hV. This yielded ‘hmA1NV’ and ‘hmA1CV’, with N‐ and C‐terminal inserts. The constructs were tested ex vivo and in vivo.
Results
Mucin insertion at the N‐terminus, but not C‐terminus, in both types of constructs resulted in >50‐fold increase in binding to immobilized GpIbα. N‐terminal insertion also resulted in greater shear‐induced platelet activation, more thrombus formation on collagen, enhanced platelet accumulation and slower platelet translocation on immobilized VWF in microfluidics assays. Hydrodynamic injection‐based expression of hmA1NV, but not hmA1V or hmA1CV, in VWF−/− mice caused profound thrombocytopenia, reduced plasma VWF concentrations, lower multimer distribution, and incessant tail bleeding that is reminiscent of von Willebrand disease type 2B. Platelet plugs were noted in the portal veins and hepatic arteries. An anti‐D'D3 mAb DD3.3 that displays enhanced binding to VWF containing the N‐terminal mucin insert also exhibited increased binding to wild‐type VWF under shear and upon ristocetin addition.
Conclusion
Conformation changes at the VWF D'D3‐A1 interface may be a key regulator of thrombosis in vivo. Structural features at the A1‐A2 interface are likely of less significance.
B-flavor tagging at Belle II Akopov, N.; Banerjee, Sw; Bauer, M. ...
The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields,
04/2022, Letnik:
82, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We report on new flavor tagging algorithms developed to determine the quark-flavor content of bottom (
) mesons at Belle II. The algorithms provide essential inputs for measurements of quark-flavor ...mixing and charge-parity violation. We validate and evaluate the performance of the algorithms using hadronic
decays with flavor-specific final states reconstructed in a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 62.8 fb
-
1
, collected at the
resonance with the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB collider. We measure the total effective tagging efficiency to be
ε
eff
=
(
30.0
±
1.2
(
stat
)
±
0.4
(
syst
)
)
%
for a category-based algorithm and
ε
eff
=
(
28.8
±
1.2
(
stat
)
±
0.4
(
syst
)
)
%
for a deep-learning-based algorithm.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective
We determined mean main portal vein diameter in healthy patients evaluated with CT, compared this value to the “upper limit of normal” reported previously, and evaluated effects of age, ...sex, height, and BMI on portal vein diameter.
Materials and methods
Our cohort of healthy patients underwent abdominal CT as potential renal donors. We excluded patients with evidence of liver or severe cardiac disease. We recorded patients’ age, sex, height, weight, and BMI. Patients’ main portal vein diameters were measured by fellowship-trained abdominal imagers on non-contrast and post-contrast images in axial and coronal projections at a defined location. A general linear mixed model was used for analysis.
Results
191 patients with 679 main portal vein measurements were included in the analysis. Mean main portal vein diameter was 15.5 ± 1.9 mm; this value was significantly different from the upper limit of normal of 13 mm commonly referenced in the literature (95% CI: 2.22–2.69 mm
higher
,
p
< 0.0001). Portal vein diameter does not vary significantly when measured on axial vs. coronal images. On average, post-contrast main portal veins were 0.56 mm larger compared to non-contrast, (95% CI: 0.40–0.71 mm,
p
< 0.0071). Patient height and BMI are positively correlated with MPV diameter.
Conclusions
Normal mean portal vein diameter measured on CT was significantly larger (mean 15.5 mm) than the accepted upper limit of 13 mm. Contrast-enhanced main portal veins are significantly larger (0.56 mm) than unenhanced. Sex, height, and BMI significantly affect main portal vein diameter.
Ultrasound is a standard technique to detect lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer. Cystic changes and microcalcifications are the most specific features of metastasis, but with low ...sensitivity. This prospective study compared the diagnostic accuracy of a predictive model for sonographic evaluation of lymph nodes relative to the radiologist's standard assessment in detecting papillary thyroid cancer metastasis in patients after thyroidectomy.
Cervical lymph node sonographic images were reported by a radiologist (R method) per standard practice. The same images were independently evaluated by another radiologist using a sonographic predictive model (M method). A test was considered positive for metastasis if the R or M method suggested lymph node biopsy. The result of lymph node biopsy or surgical pathology was used as the reference standard. We estimated relative true-positive fraction and relative false-positive fraction using log-linear models for correlated binary data for the M method compared with the R method.
A total of 237 lymph nodes in 103 patients were evaluated. Our analysis of relative true-positive fraction and relative false-positive fraction included 54 nodes with pathologic results in which at least 1 method (R or M) was positive. The M method had a higher relative true-positive fraction of 1.46 (95% CI, 1.12-1.91;
= .006) and a lower relative false-positive fraction of 0.58 (95% CI, 0.36-0.92;
= .02) compared with the R method.
The sonographic predictive model outperformed the standard assessment to detect lymph node metastasis in patients with papillary thyroid cancer and may reduce unnecessary biopsies.
Acute Primary Tuberculous Ulcer of Glans Penis Pandey, D; Agrawal, S; Pokharel, S
Kathmandu University medical journal,
2019 Oct.-Dec., 20191001, Letnik:
17, Številka:
68
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Acute primary tuberculous ulcer of glans penis is a rare entity even in the endemic region. We present a 55 year old male with multiple undermined ulcers for short duration of 4 weeks with raised ...erythrocyte sedimentation rate, negative Mantoux test and histopathology revealed a diagnosis of tuberculous ulcer which responded well to antitubercular therapy.
The presence of magnetic heterogeneities in ferromagnetic systems can reduce their performances in applications such as data storage media and permanent magnets. The detection and the full ...characterization of these heterogeneities is difficult especially when they are present in a very low concentration within ferromagnetic systems. Here, torque magnetometry is applied to investigate the magnetism of heterogeneities in two-dimensional hexaferrite structures. The study was conducted on a two-dimensional BaFe12O19 structure with decoupled nano-platelets grown on oxidized silicon buffered with ZnO. Measured torque curves reveal anomalous effects manifested by the presence of reversible and hysteretic kinks at large and low magnetic fields respectively. These kinks represent the contribution of magnetic heterogeneities to the global anisotropy of the film in addition to the two-fold symmetry of the major perpendicular anisotropy component. The heterogeneities consist of two types of nano-metric crystallites with the same magnitude of anisotropy as the major magnetic phase, but tilted about −74° and 74° from the normal to the film plane. These results are supported by various types of material characterization (SEM, XPS, XRD, MFM and VSM) and are well reproduced with a simple theoretical model that replicates the symmetry, switching and the easy axes alignment of the heterogeneities magnetization.
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