137 research outputs found
Phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant capacities in Citrus species with different degree of tolerance to Huanglongbing
Huanglongbing (HLB) is a highly destructive disease to the citrus industry in Florida caused by the
bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus(CLas) and is transmitted by Diaphorina citri. It is hypothesized
that plants with high phenolic contents show higher tolerance to certain plant pathogens. In this
regard, different citrus varieties and plants of genera related to Citrus were analyzed for their total
phenolic and flavonoids contents, and their antioxidant capacities. In addition, the secondary metabolites
in the leaves of seven citrus species were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatographymass
spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Colorimetric assays showed that curry leaf contained the highest total
phenolic content and free radical scavenging activity (DPPH). Curry leaf also contained high concentrations
of an unusual class of carbazole alkaloids. Tolerant Citrus species contained high levels of phenolics
and flavonoids and showed high antioxidant capacities. Our results suggest that high phenolic and
flavonoid leaf contents correlate with increased citrus tolerance to CLas bacterium. The results also
suggest that the high level of carbazole alkaloids, known for their strong antimicrobial properties in
curry leaf, could make it immune to the CLas bacteria. Understanding the mechanisms underpinning
citrus tolerance to HLB will contribute to the development of commercially tolerant citrus cultivars.Acknowledgments
We thank Yasser Nehela for the technical assistance and Lorraine Jones
for maintaining the trees in greenhouses. This work was kindly funded
by Citrus Research and Development Foundation, grant number 19-015.
Funding
This work was supported by the Citrus Research and Development
Foundation [19-015]
Experimental investigation of varying design parameters on the production rate and temperature polarisation of a DCMD system
Much of the research in the analysis of Temperature polarisation (TP) and the productivity of a membrane distillation (MD) system tends to concentrate on operational conditions. However, substantial enhancements in permeate flux can be realised through the incorporation of fundamental design modifications. This research showed that TP can be successfully mitigated almost to a level of non-existence, by manipulating the module orientation and flow channel height of an in-house designed direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) system. Notably, at higher flow channel heights, changing the module orientation from the default horizontal position with the feed side on top (FST) to a sideway orientation led to a remarkable 90% increase in the permeate flux of the DCMD module. Permeate side on top (PST) and sideways orientations performed significantly better than FST for larger channel heights, while at low channel heights, the improvement was slight. Temperature measurements proved that thermal convective currents and secondary flows played a vital role in assisting or opposing TP and cannot be disregarded when investigating the hydrodynamics of a DCMD system. The impact of flow directions was insignificant with different channel heights, while the proximity of the flow inlets played a pivotal role in shaping the temperature profiles along the membrane
Survival Outcomes and Patterns of Recurrence After Adjuvant Vaginal Cuff Brachytherapy and Chemotherapy in Early-Stage Uterine Serous Carcinoma
Background: Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) is a relatively rare histology that portends a poor prognosis. The optimal adjuvant therapy for early-stage USC remains controversial; however, adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy (VB) and chemotherapy is a commonly utilized strategy.
Objectives: We sought to characterize predictors of survival endpoints and determine recurrence patterns in women with early-stage USC who received adjuvant VB and chemotherapy.
Methods: We queried our prospectively maintained database for patients with 2009 FIGO stages I-II USC who underwent adequate surgical staging at our institution and received adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel along with VB. We excluded women with synchronous malignancies. Overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were assessed by Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests. Univariate (UVA) and multivariate analyses (MVA) were performed to identify statistically significant predictors of survival endpoints. Variables with P\u3c0.1 on UVA were included in a MVA and any variable with P\u3c0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: We identified 77 women who met our inclusion criteria who underwent surgical staging between 1991 and 2018. The median follow-up time was 36 months (range 6-125). The median age was 66 years. Of the cohort, 70% were FIGO stage IA, 17% were stage IB, and 13% were stage II. The median number of dissected lymph nodes (LN) was 22. There were 10 women (13%) diagnosed with a recurrence with a median time to recurrence of 12.0 months. The main site of initial recurrence was distant in seven patients (70%) with the remaining recurrences being pelvic/para-aortic. The 5-year RFS for patients who experienced a distant recurrence was 87% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.75-0.94). For the entire cohort, 5-year OS, DSS, and RFS were 83% (95% CI 0.68-0.91), 92% (95% CI 0.78-0.97), and 83% (95% CI 0.71-0.91), respectively. The sole predictor of 5-year OS on UVA was receipt of omentectomy (P=0.09). The predictors of 5-year DSS on UVA were presence of positive peritoneal cytology (P=0.03), number of LN examined (Hazard Ratio [HR] 1.10, 95% CI 1.00-1.21, P=0.05), and number of para-aortic LN examined (HR 1.16 [95% CI 1.01-1.32], P=0.03). The sole independent predictor of DSS was the presence of positive peritoneal cytology (HR 0.03 [95% CI 0.00-0.72], P=0.03). Predictors of five-year RFS on UVA were robotic vs open surgery technique (P=0.06), presence of positive peritoneal cytology (P=0.01), percent myometrial invasion (HR 5.59 [95% CI 0.84-37.46], P=0.08), and presence of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) (P=0.05).
Conclusions: Five-year survival outcomes were promising in this cohort of women with early-stage USC treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and VB; however, this study shows that the predominant pattern of relapse in this population is distant, suggesting the need to optimize systemic therapy. Possible predictors of worse outcomes include positive peritoneal cytology, deep myometrial invasion, and presence of LVSI. Multi-institutional pooled analyses are warranted to confirm our study results
Series solution to fractional contact problem using Caputo's derivative
Abstract
In this article, contact problem with fractional derivatives is studied. We use fractional derivative in the sense of Caputo. We deploy penalty function method to degenerate the obstacle problem into a system of fractional boundary value problems (FBVPs). The series solution of this system of FBVPs is acquired by using the variational iteration method (VIM). The performance as well as precision of the applied method is gauged by means of significant numerical tests. We further study the convergence and residual errors of the solutions by giving variation to the fractional parameter, and graphically present the solutions and residual errors accordingly. The outcomes thus obtained witness the high effectiveness of VIM for solving FBVPs
Role of RNA-binding proteins Rbfox1l and Rbfox2 in neuronal development and behavior in zebrafish
Rbfox proteins are RNA-binding proteins that play a significant role in the alternative splicing of neuronal transcripts in the central nervous system (CNS). Rbfox proteins are required for proper brain development and function. In humans, RBFOX1 has been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders, including autism, anxiety, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. Rbfox2 is involved in cerebellar development in mammals. The zebrafish is used as a model system for studies in neurobiology given their neuroanatomical conservation with mammals, and remarkable capability to regenerate parts of their CNS. Rbfox1l (Rbfox1-like) and Rbfox2 have been identified in neurons of the adult zebrafish brain. Rbfox1l was found in a restricted population of dorsal telencephalic neurons, and Rbfox2 was found broadly throughout the brain. Both genes have been found in Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. Utilizing antibody staining on zebrafish brain tissue sections, we will analyze expression of Rbfox1l and Rbfox2 at larval stages and stages leading up to adulthood. Furthermore, we will use rbfox1l and rbfox2 mutant zebrafish (in collaboration with Ohio State University) to better understand the role of rbfox1l in behavior and determine whether rbfox2 is necessary for the regeneration of the cerebellum. Understanding the role of the Rbfox proteins in neural development, regeneration, and behavior may lead to a substantial advancement in the research field and health care
Role of RNA-binding proteins Rbfox1l and Rbfox2 in neuronal development and behavior in zebrafish
Rbfox proteins are RNA-binding proteins that play a significant role in the alternative splicing of neuronal transcripts in the central nervous system (CNS). Rbfox proteins are required for proper brain development and function. In humans, RBFOX1 has been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders, including autism, anxiety, epilepsy, and schizophrenia. Rbfox2 is involved in cerebellar development in mammals. The zebrafish is used as a model system for studies in neurobiology given their neuroanatomical conservation with mammals, and remarkable capability to regenerate parts of their CNS. Rbfox1l (Rbfox1-like) and Rbfox2 have been identified in neurons of the adult zebrafish brain. Rbfox1l was found in a restricted population of dorsal telencephalic neurons, and Rbfox2 was found broadly throughout the brain. Both genes have been found in Purkinje cells of the cerebellum. Utilizing antibody staining on zebrafish brain tissue sections, we will analyze expression of Rbfox1l and Rbfox2 at larval stages and stages leading up to adulthood. Furthermore, we will use rbfox1l and rbfox2 mutant zebrafish (in collaboration with Ohio State University) to better understand the role of rbfox1l in behavior and determine whether rbfox2 is necessary for the regeneration of the cerebellum. Understanding the role of the Rbfox proteins in neural development, regeneration, and behavior may lead to a substantial advancement in the research field and health care
A survey of KdV-CDG equations via nonsingular fractional operators
In this article, the Korteweg-de Vries-Caudrey-Dodd-Gibbon (KdV-CDG) equation is explored via a fractional operator. A nonlocal differential operator with a nonsingular kernel is used to study the KdV-CDG equation. Some theoretical features concerned with the existence and uniqueness of the solution, convergence, and Picard-stability of the solution by using the concepts of fixed point theory are discussed. Analytical solutions of the KdV-CDG equation by using the Laplace transformation (LT) associated with the Adomian decomposition method (ADM) are retrieved. The solutions are presented using 3D and surface graphics
Approximate analytical solutions for the blood ethanol concentration system and predator-prey equations by using variational iteration method
Simulation and numerical study for the blood ethanol concentration system (BECS) and the Lotka-Volterra system, i.e., predator-prey equations (PPEs) (both of fractional order in the Caputo sense) by employing a development accurate variational iteration method are presented in this work. By assessing the absolute error, and the residual error function, we can confirm the given procedure is effective and accurate. The outcomes demonstrate that the proposed technique is a suitable tool for simulating such models and can be extended to simulate other models
Love in the Time of COVID-19: Negligence in the Nicaraguan Response
The response of the Nicaraguan government to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been perhaps the most erratic of any country in the world to date. Directly contradicting mitigation strategies recommended by WHO, President Daniel Ortega has refused to encourage any physical distancing measures. Vice President Rosario Murillo (Daniel Ortega\u27s wife) instead called on thousands of sympathisers to congregate in street marches under the slogan \u27love in the time of COVID-19\u27. By downplaying the danger of the pandemic and increasing the risk of community transmission in the second-poorest country in the western hemisphere, the Nicaraguan government is violating the human rights of its citizens
Contrasting the Percutaneous Nerve Evaluation Versus Staged Implantation in Sacral Neuromodulation
Sacral neuromodulation is increasingly used for the treatment of voiding dysfunction, pelvic pain syndromes, and gastrointestinal disorders. While increased use of this technology has led to a greater understanding of its potential as well as its limitations, difficulty persists in identifying the patients that will benefit most. Either of two trial stimulation techniques is performed before placement of a permanent neuromodulator: the monopolar percutaneous nerve evaluation and the tined quadripolar staged trial. The preponderance of recent literature asserts the superior sensitivity of the staged trial over percutaneous nerve evaluation. However, the techniques offer disparate advantages, and other issues, such as cost-effectiveness, remain largely unexplored. The role of sacral neuromodulation will continue to expand as physicians and patients become increasingly aware of its therapeutic potential. Widespread adoption of this clinically superior technique will most rapidly help the greatest number of patients
- …