Abstract
We present experimental results of the trace argon impurity puffing in the ohmic plasmas of Aditya-U tokamak performed to study the argon transport behaviour. Argon line emissions in visible ...and Vacuum Ultra Violet (VUV) spectral ranges arising from the plasma edge and core respectively are measured simultaneously. During the experiments, space resolved brightness profile of Ar
1+
line emissions at 472.69 nm (3p
4
4s
2
P
3/2
–3p
4
4p
2
D
3/2
), 473.59 nm (3p
4
4s
4
P
5/2
–3p
4
4p
4
P
3/2
), 476.49 nm (3p
4
4s
2
P
1/2
–3p
4
4p
2
P
3/2
), 480.60 nm (3p
4
4s
4
P
5/2
–3p
4
4p
4
P
5/2
) are recorded using a high resolution visible spectrometer. Also, a VUV spectrometer has been used to simultaneously observe Ar
13+
line emission at 18.79 nm (2s
2
2p
2
P
3/2
–2s2p
2
2
P
3/2
) and Ar
14+
line emission at 22.11 nm (2s
2
1
S
0
–2s2p
1
P
1
). The diffusivity and convective velocity of Ar are obtained by comparing the measured radial emissivity profile of Ar
1+
emission and the line intensity ratio of Ar
13+
and Ar
14+
ions, with those simulated using the impurity transport code, STRAHL. Argon diffusivities ~ 12 m
2
/s and ~ 0.3 m
2
/s have been observed in the edge (ρ > 0.85) and core region of the Aditya-U, respectively. The diffusivity values both in the edge and core region are found to be higher than the neo-classical values suggesting that the argon impurity transport is mainly anomalous in the Aditya-U tokamak. Also, an inward pinch of ~ 10 m/s mainly driven by Ware pinch is required to match the measured and simulated data. The measured peaked profile of Ar density suggests impurity accumulation in these discharges.
Nipah Virus (NiV) is a highly fatal emerging zoonotic virus and a potential threat to global health security. Here we describe the characteristics of the NiV outbreak that occurred in Kerala, India, ...during May-June 2018.
We used real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of throat swab, blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid specimens to detect NiV. Further, the viral genome was sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. We conducted an epidemiologic investigation to describe the outbreak and elucidate the dynamics of NiV transmission.
During 2-29 May 2018, 23 cases were identified, including the index case; 18 were laboratory confirmed. The lineage of the NiV responsible for this outbreak was closer to the Bangladesh lineage. The median age of cases was 45 years; the sex of 15 (65%) was male. The median incubation period was 9.5 days (range, 6-14 days). Of the 23 cases, 20 (87%) had respiratory symptoms. The case-fatality rate was 91%; 2 cases survived. Risk factors for infection included close proximity (ie, touching, feeding, or nursing a NiV-infected person), enabling exposure to droplet infection. The public health response included isolation of cases, contact tracing, and enforcement of hospital infection control practices.
This is the first recorded NiV outbreak in South India. Early laboratory confirmation and an immediate public health response contained the outbreak.
The systematic identification of insertion/deletion (InDel) length polymorphisms from the entire lentil genome can be used to map the quantitative trait loci (QTL) and also for the marker-assisted ...selection (MAS) for various linked traits. The InDels were identified by comparing the whole-genome resequencing (WGRS) data of two extreme bulks (early- and late-flowering bulk) and a parental genotype (Globe Mutant) of lentil. The bulks were made by pooling 20 extreme recombinant inbred lines (RILs) each, derived by crossing Globe Mutant (late flowering parent) with L4775 (early flowering parent). Finally, 734,716 novel InDels were identified, which is nearly one InDel per 5,096 bp of lentil genome. Furthermore, 74.94% of InDels were within the intergenic region and 99.45% displayed modifier effects. Of these, 15,732 had insertions or deletions of 20 bp or more, making them amenable to the development of PCR-based markers. An InDel marker I-SP-356.6 (chr. 3; position 356,687,623; positioned 174.5 Kb from the LcFRI gene) was identified as having a phenotypic variance explained (PVE) value of 47.7% for earliness when validated in a RIL population. Thus, I-SP-356.6 marker can be deployed in MAS to facilitate the transfer of the earliness trait to other elite late-maturing cultivars. Two InDel markers viz., I-SP-356.6 and I-SP-383.9 (chr. 3; linked to LcELF3a gene) when tested in 9 lentil genotypes differing for maturity duration, clearly distinguished three early (L4775, ILL7663, Precoz) and four late genotypes (Globe Mutant, MFX, L4602, L830). However, these InDels could not be validated in two genotypes (L4717, L4727), suggesting either absence of polymorphism and/or presence of other loci causing earliness. The identified InDel markers can act as valuable tools for MAS for the development of early maturing lentil varieties.
ABSTRACT
A new upper limit on the 21 cm signal power spectrum at a redshift of z ≈ 9.1 is presented, based on 141 h of data obtained with the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR). The analysis includes ...significant improvements in spectrally smooth gain-calibration, Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) foreground mitigation and optimally weighted power spectrum inference. Previously seen ‘excess power’ due to spectral structure in the gain solutions has markedly reduced but some excess power still remains with a spectral correlation distinct from thermal noise. This excess has a spectral coherence scale of 0.25–0.45 MHz and is partially correlated between nights, especially in the foreground wedge region. The correlation is stronger between nights covering similar local sidereal times. A best 2-σ upper limit of $\Delta ^2_{21} \lt (73)^2\, \mathrm{mK^2}$ at $k = 0.075\, \mathrm{h\, cMpc^{-1}}$ is found, an improvement by a factor ≈8 in power compared to the previously reported upper limit. The remaining excess power could be due to residual foreground emission from sources or diffuse emission far away from the phase centre, polarization leakage, chromatic calibration errors, ionosphere, or low-level radiofrequency interference. We discuss future improvements to the signal processing chain that can further reduce or even eliminate these causes of excess power.
The production of inflammatory mediators by epithelial cells in inflammatory lung diseases may represent an important target for the anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids. Activator protein-1 ...is a major activator of inflammatory genes and has been proposed as a target for inhibition by glucocorticoids. We have used human pulmonary type-II A549 cells to examine the effect of dexamethasone on the phorbol ester (PMA)/Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced pro-inflammatory cytokines and AP-1 factors. A549 cells were treated with and without PMA or LPS or dexamethasone and the cell viability and nitric oxide production was measured by MTT assay and Griess reagent respectively. Expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and AP-1 factors mRNA were measured using semi quantitative RT-PCR. The PMA/LPS treated cells show significant 2–3 fold increase in the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α), cyclo‑oxygenase-2 (COX-2) and specific AP-1 factors (c-Jun, c-Fos and Jun-D). Whereas, pretreatment of cells with dexamethasone significantly inhibited the LPS induced nitric oxide production and PMA/LPS induced mRNAs expression of above pro-inflammatory cytokines, COX-2 and AP-1 factors. Cells treated with dexamethasone alone at both the concentrations inhibit the mRNAs expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α compared to control. Our study reveals that dexamethasone decreased the mRNAs expression of c-Jun and c-Fos available for AP-1 formation suggested that AP-1 is the probable key transcription factor involved in the anti-inflammatory activity of dexamethasone. This may be an important molecular mechanism of steroid action in asthma and other chronic inflammatory lung diseases which may be useful for treatment of lung inflammatory diseases.
•PMA/LPS induce the expression of inflammatory mediators in A549 cells.•Dexamethasone inhibits the PMA/LPS induced pro-inflammatory cytokines mRNA expression.•Dexamethasone inhibits the LPS induced nitric oxide production.•Dexamethasone decreased the PMA/LPS induced mRNAs expression of c-Jun and c-Fos AP-1 factors.•The anti-inflammatory activity of dexamethasone is through c-Jun and c-Fos AP-1 factor.•AP-1 is well-described transcription factor for the target of classic GR-mediated transrepression.
Maize is an important industrial crop where yield and quality enhancement both assume greater importance. Clean production technologies like conservation agriculture and integrated nutrient ...management hold the key to enhance productivity and quality besides improving soil health and environment. Hence, maize productivity and quality were assessed under a maize-wheat cropping system (MWCS) using four crop-establishment and tillage management practices FBCT-FBCT (Flat bed-conventional tillage both in maize and wheat); RBCT-RBZT (Raised bed-CT in maize and raised bed-zero tillage in wheat); FBZT-FBZT (FBZT both in maize and wheat); PRBZT-PRBZT (Permanent raised bed-ZT both in maize and wheat, and five P-fertilization practices P
(100% soil applied-P); P
+ 2FSP (50% soil applied-P + 2 foliar-sprays of P through 2% DAP both in maize and wheat); P
+ PSB + AM-fungi; P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP; and P
(100% NK with no-P) in split-plot design replicated-thrice. Double zero-tilled PRBZT-PRBZT system significantly enhanced the maize grain, starch, protein and oil yield by 13.1-19% over conventional FBCT-FBCT. P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP, integrating soil applied-P, microbial-inoculants and foliar-P, had significantly higher grain, starch, protein and oil yield by 12.5-17.2% over P
besides saving 34.7% fertilizer-P both in maize and on cropping-system basis. P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP again had significantly higher starch, lysine and tryptophan content by 4.6-10.4% over P
due to sustained and synchronized P-bioavailability. Higher amylose content (24.1%) was observed in grains under P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP, a beneficial trait due to its lower glycemic-index highly required for diabetic patients, where current COVID-19 pandemic further necessitated the use of such dietary ingredients. Double zero-tilled PRBZT-PRBZT reported greater MUFA (oleic acid, 37.1%), MUFA: PUFA ratio and P/S index with 6.9% higher P/S index in corn-oil (an oil quality parameter highly required for heart-health) over RBCT-RBCT. MUFA, MUFA: PUFA ratio and P/S index were also higher under P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP; avowing the obvious role of foliar-P and microbial-inoculants in influencing maize fatty acid composition. Overall, double zero-tilled PRBZT-PRBZT with crop residue retention at 6 t/ha per year along with P
+ PSB + AMF + 2FSP while saving 34.7% fertilizer-P in MWCS, may prove beneficial in enhancing maize productivity and quality so as to reinforce the food and nutritional security besides boosting food, corn-oil and starch industry in south-Asia and collateral arid agro-ecologies across the globe.
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•Synthesis and characterised two chiral selenated ligands and their Pd(II) complexes.•The single crystal structures of both palladium complexes were determined.•Crystals contain ...secondary bonding interactions CH⋯Cl/O/Se, OH⋯O/Cl, NH⋯Cl, Se⋯O.•These compounds showed interaction with CT-DNA by strong ‘intercalation’ mode.•The compounds exhibited anticoagulant activity.
Two new selenated ligands: (S)-BnSeCH2CH(Bn)N = CH-C6H3-3-OCH3-2-OH ((S)-L1H) and (S)-BnSeCH2CH(Bn)NH-CH2-C6H3-3-OCH3-2-OH ((S)-L2H) incorporating ortho-vanillin moiety and their respective palladium(II) complexes (S)-1 and (S)-2 were synthesized in a high-yielding procedures. All compounds were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques such as 1H, 13C{1H} NMR, FT-IR, and UV–Visible. Further, the elemental and single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of complexes showed that the deprotonated ligands ((S)-L1 and (S)-L2) coordinated to central palladium as tridentate (Se,N,O−) chelates of composition PdCl(L1-2). In crystalline state the molecules of complexes were found to held by a moderate to strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds like CH⋯Cl and CH⋯O in both and OH⋯O, OH⋯Cl, NH⋯Cl in (S)-2∙H2O. In addition, there exists rare CH⋯Se and Se⋯O types of secondary bonding interactions between the molecules of (S)-1 and (S)-2∙H2O respectively. The interactions of ligands and complexes with CT-DNA have been studied by absorption, fluorescence and viscosity measurements. These determinants showed efficient binding interaction with DNA through ‘intercalation’ mode. The reduced Schiff base showed a higher binding capacity than the parent Schiff base. Further, the DNA binding affinity of complexes is higher than the corresponding ligands. The anticoagulant and non-haemolytic activities have also been investigated for these compounds. The human blood clotting time found to be enhanced from 150 to 200 sec in both PPP and PRP cases on coordination of ligands to palladium.
In this article we present a class of relativistic solutions describing spherically symmetric and static anisotropic stars in hydrostatic equilibrium. For this purpose, we consider a particularized ...metric potential, namely, Buchdahl ansatz Phys. Rev. D 116, 1027 (1959). which encompasses almost all the known analytic solutions to the spherically symmetric, static Einstein equations with a perfect fluid source, including, in particular, the Vaidya-Tikekar and Finch-Skea. We developed the model by considering an anisotropic spherically symmetric static general relativistic configuration that has a significant effect on the structure and properties of stellar objects. We have considered eight different cases for generalized Buchdahl dimensionless parameter K and analyzed them in a uniform manner. As a result it turns out that all the considered cases are valid at every point in the interior spacetime. In addition to this, we show that the model satisfies all the energy conditions and maintains the hydrostatic equilibrium equation. In the frame work of anisotropic hypothesis, we consider analogue objects with similar mass and radii, such as LMC X-4, SMC X-1, EXO 1785-248 etc. to restrict the model parameter arbitrariness. Also, establishing a relation between pressure and density in the form of P=P(ρ), we demonstrate that equation of state (EoS) can be approximated to a linear function of density. Despite the simplicity of this model, the obtained results are satisfactory.
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