Seed storage protein polymorphism in ten elite rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes of Sindh

Seed protein profiling is the most promising tool in determining the molecular polymorphism and genetic homology. Seed storage proteins help in cultivar identification by avoiding the external environmental influences. Electrophoretically detectable proteins in rice grains possess the potential of characterizing the germplasms by their taxonomic and evolutionary aspects. This study was aimed at exploiting the genetic variations among ten elite rice genotypes of Sindh through  electrophoretical separation of grain proteins by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacryamide gel electrophoresis (SDSPAGE). In conclusion, the investigation revealed negligible polymorphism, with reference to the total seed protein profiles, among the rice genotypes of Sindh, Pakistan used in this study. Hence, it is highly important to include a significant number of rice genotypes to explore their existing genotypic diversity for future rice breeding programs. The SDS-PAGE in combination with 2-D electrophoresis is further suggested for documenting contrasting variations of isoforms of protein peptides.Key words: Seed storage proteins, polymorphism, Oryza sativa, Sindh, SDS-PAG

Prevalence and risk factors of symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease in a rural community of Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

Objectives: (1). To estimate the prevalence of symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in rural Jamshoro, Sindh, (2). To assess specific social and biological risk factors of symptoms of PID.METHODOLOGY: Trained females conducted the interviews using a pre-tested Sindhi questionnaire during a cross-sectional survey carried out in 8 villages of rural Jamshoro, Sindh. Women reporting either lower abdominal pain or vaginal discharge with continuous or intermittent fever during the 6 months prior to interview, were classified as having PID symptoms.Results: We approached 753 ever-married women and successfully interviewed 738 (98%) from July-September 1997. Sixty-five women (9%) had symptoms consistent with PID, and 156 (24%) reported ever using a modern contraceptive. Symptomatic women were 3.6 times more likely to have ever used IUCD/tubal ligation (95% CI, 1.9-6.9), 1.8 times more likely to have married at earlier age (\u3c 15) (95% CI, 1.1-3), and 3 times more likely to be housewives by occupation (95% CI, 10-8.4) as compared to women who did not have PID symptoms.CONCLUSION: Symptoms of PID among tubal ligation/IUCD users may reflect existence of unhygienic conditions during application of procedure, delay in replacement of IUCD and mismatching in the size of IUCD with uterus. The quality of life is affected in women with PID symptoms and may have serious consequences like infertility. These symptoms need thorough evaluation/investigation to gauge the magnitude and nature of the problem and to guide intervention, effective promotion of women\u27s socio-economic status, health education regarding counselling for delaying age at marriage and hygienic/safe use of family planning methods

Performance of the Muon Identification at LHCb

The performance of the muon identification in LHCb is extracted from data using muons and hadrons produced in J/\psi->\mu\mu, \Lambda->p\pi and D^{\star}->\pi D0(K\pi) decays. The muon identification procedure is based on the pattern of hits in the muon chambers. A momentum dependent binary requirement is used to reduce the probability of hadrons to be misidentified as muons to the level of 1%, keeping the muon efficiency in the range of 95-98%. As further refinement, a likelihood is built for the muon and non-muon hypotheses. Adding a requirement on this likelihood that provides a total muon efficiency at the level of 93%, the hadron misidentification rates are below 0.6%.Comment: 17 pages, 10 figure

Potential measures to enhance information security compliance in the healthcare internet of things

Healthcare organisations are particularly vulnerable to information security threats and breaches due to the highly confidential nature of their patients’ medical information. Now, with the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare that can vary from diagnostic devices to medical wearables, the industry has indeed become more vulnerable to malicious exploitation. One of the reasons that malicious attacks continue to occur at an alarming rate is due to the poor compliance of information security policies. This study investigates the issues that are associated with the causes for poor compliance within the private healthcare organisations in Malaysia. Data was collected through interviews from various healthcare respondents and findings have revealed that often, poor security compliance is mainly caused by behaviour issues and the severe lack of security awareness which requires immediate attention and mitigation. Potential measures to cultivate information security awareness and to safeguard the IoT-based medical devices are proposed to achieve compliance

Measurement of the ratio of branching fractions BR(B0 -> K*0 gamma)/BR(Bs0 -> phi gamma)

The ratio of branching fractions of the radiative B decays B0 -> K*0 gamma and Bs0 -> phi gamma has been measured using 0.37 fb-1 of pp collisions at a centre of mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, collected by the LHCb experiment. The value obtained is BR(B0 -> K*0 gamma)/BR(Bs0 -> phi gamma) = 1.12 +/- 0.08 ^{+0.06}_{-0.04} ^{+0.09}_{-0.08}, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third is associated to the ratio of fragmentation fractions fs/fd. Using the world average for BR(B0 -> K*0 gamma) = (4.33 +/- 0.15) x 10^{-5}, the branching fraction BR(Bs0 -> phi gamma) is measured to be (3.9 +/- 0.5) x 10^{-5}, which is the most precise measurement to date.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure, 2 table

Differential branching fraction and angular analysis of the decay B0→K∗0μ+μ−

The angular distribution and differential branching fraction of the decay B 0→ K ∗0 μ + μ − are studied using a data sample, collected by the LHCb experiment in pp collisions at s√=7 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb−1. Several angular observables are measured in bins of the dimuon invariant mass squared, q 2. A first measurement of the zero-crossing point of the forward-backward asymmetry of the dimuon system is also presented. The zero-crossing point is measured to be q20=4.9±0.9GeV2/c4 , where the uncertainty is the sum of statistical and systematic uncertainties. The results are consistent with the Standard Model predictions

Opposite-side flavour tagging of B mesons at the LHCb experiment

The calibration and performance of the oppositeside flavour tagging algorithms used for the measurements of time-dependent asymmetries at the LHCb experiment are described. The algorithms have been developed using simulated events and optimized and calibrated with B + →J/ψK +, B0 →J/ψK ∗0 and B0 →D ∗− μ + νμ decay modes with 0.37 fb−1 of data collected in pp collisions at √ s = 7 TeV during the 2011 physics run. The oppositeside tagging power is determined in the B + → J/ψK + channel to be (2.10 ± 0.08 ± 0.24) %, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic

Observation of two new Ξb−\Xi_b^- baryon resonances

Two structures are observed close to the kinematic threshold in the $\Xi_b^0 \pi^-$ mass spectrum in a sample of proton-proton collision data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb$^{-1}$ recorded by the LHCb experiment. In the quark model, two baryonic resonances with quark content $bds$ are expected in this mass region: the spin-parity $J^P = \frac{1}{2}^+$ and $J^P=\frac{3}{2}^+$ states, denoted $\Xi_b^{\prime -}$ and $\Xi_b^{*-}$. Interpreting the structures as these resonances, we measure the mass differences and the width of the heavier state to be $m(\Xi_b^{\prime -}) - m(\Xi_b^0) - m(\pi^{-}) = 3.653 \pm 0.018 \pm 0.006$ MeV$/c^2$, $m(\Xi_b^{*-}) - m(\Xi_b^0) - m(\pi^{-}) = 23.96 \pm 0.12 \pm 0.06$ MeV$/c^2$, $\Gamma(\Xi_b^{*-}) = 1.65 \pm 0.31 \pm 0.10$ MeV, where the first and second uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. The width of the lighter state is consistent with zero, and we place an upper limit of $\Gamma(\Xi_b^{\prime -}) < 0.08$ MeV at 95% confidence level. Relative production rates of these states are also reported.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure

Maintenance plans for irrigation facilities of pilot distributaries in Sindh Province, Pakistan. Volume 1 - Dhoro Naro Minor, Nawabshah District

Irrigation management / Maintenance / Planning / Irrigation canals / Distributary canals / Flow control / Canal regulation techniques / Flow / Measurement / Equity / Water distribution / Discharges / Measurement / Seepage / Sedimentation / Costs / Pakistan / Sindh Province / Nawabshah District / Dhoro Naro Minor

Search for CP violation in D+→K−K+π+D^{+} \to K^{-}K^{+}\pi^{+} decays

A model-independent search for direct CP violation in the Cabibbo suppressed decay $D^+ \to K^- K^+\pi^+$ in a sample of approximately 370,000 decays is carried out. The data were collected by the LHCb experiment in 2010 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35 pb$^{-1}$. The normalized Dalitz plot distributions for $D^+$ and $D^-$ are compared using four different binning schemes that are sensitive to different manifestations of CP violation. No evidence for CP asymmetry is found.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.