Quantum Deconstruction of a 5D SYM and its Moduli Space

We deconstruct the fifth dimension of the 5D SYM theory with SU(M) gauge symmetry and Chern-Simons level k=M and show how the 5D moduli space follows from the non-perturbative analysis of the 4D quiver theory. The 5D coupling h=1/(g_5)^2 of the un-broken SU(M) is allowed to take any non-negative values, but it cannot be continued to h<0 and there are no transitions to other phases of the theory. The alternative UV completions of the same 5D SYM -- via M theory on the C^3/Z_2M orbifold or via the dual five-brane web in type IIB string theory -- have identical moduli spaces: h >= 0 only, and no flop transitions. We claim these are intrinsic properties of the SU(M) SYM theory with k=M.Comment: 46 Page

THE siRNA EFFICACY OF SOLUBLE ACID INVERTASE DOWN-REGULATION IN SUGARCANE (SACCHARUM SPP.)

Sugarcane (Saccharum sp. hybrids) is a C4 grass used as a major source of sucrose. Invertase enzymes hydrolyse sucrose into hexose sugars reducing the production markedly. Soluble acid invertase role is always a case of discussion for having a major or minor role in the breakdown process in sink tissues. Bio-deterioration is another serious problem accomplishes the sucrose production, the delay between harvest and milling of sugarcane cause enormous depreciation in cane tonnage as well as sugar recovery. Beside another many factors, it was improved that both neutral and acid invertase present in cane stalk and both have tendency to increase after harvest. In the present study, sugarcane cultivar G.99/103, Saccharum  officinarium, was used to establish Inplanta transformation experiment for down-regulation of soluble acid invertase gene using siRNA application. The transgenic plants were examined chemically and genetically to estimate the percentage of silencing and its impact on the sucrose content. The enzyme activity showed reduction compared to control in most transgenic plants and consequently the decrease in expression level of soluble acid invertase increase the Brix value significantly in some of the transgenic plants

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/'proxy' AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

HemoCue against Coulter LH-750 in the estimation of hemoglobin levels of blood donors in mobile collection settings: a comparative study

Background: The fast and outpatient setting for a determination of the hemoglobin (Hb) level is a well-recognized prerequisite to detect anemia in blood donors. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the HemoCue methods (HemoCue B-Hb and HemoCue-301) against Coulter LH-750 as a reference method for Hb determination. Methods: This study was an experimental cross-sectional study. It includes 455 blood samples that were collected from volunteer blood donors between January 15, 2010 and February 15, 2011. The performance of the three methods and their comparisons were assessed using the analysis of coefficients of variation (CV), linear regression, and mean difference. Correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman plots were drawn to compare the two HemoCue measurements and the automated cell analyzer against each other and to evaluate their results. The Hb concentrations were compared using the concordance correlation coefficient. Results: The findings exhibited that the CV for the three methods Coulter LH-750, HemoCue B-Hb, and HemoCue-301 were 0.60%, 0.72%, and 0.92%, respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed between the means of the Hb measurements for the three methods (p<0.001). The HemoCue B-Hb and HemoCue-301 methods showed the best agreement, and the Coulter LH-750 method gave a lower Hb value compared with the two HemoCue methods. The results showed a positive correlation of HemoCue Hb results compared with the reference method. Conclusion: All three methods provide a good agreement for Hb determination. The new device HemoCue-301 was found to be more accurate compared with HemoCue B-Hb and Coulter LH-750