Complexes of Organic Arsonic Acids: Part VIII - Complexes of VO2+ & Cu2+ with Arylarsonic Acids

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Sacred forest of Kunjapuri Siddhapeeth, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract: Sacred forests are a new frontier for interdisciplinary research and are relevant for biodiversity conservation. However, several sacred forests are experiencing failure of legal protection in guaranteeing their integrity and conservation. To bridge the gap between the needs of local people and to safeguard the health of these sacred places, immediate steps are called for. The present study was conducted in Kunjapuri Siddhapeeth, which is one of the 52 Siddhapeeths of India. A total of 239 plant species belonging to 78 families and 207 genera were collected from the study area. Out of these, nine species are considered threatened and three species vulnerable. Presently, the health of this sacred forest is deteriorating under constant anthropogenic pressures. These disturbances are also a threat for various rare, vulnerable and threatened plants. These forests are maintained and managed by the forest department and the locals are not co-operating. Therefore, the government should either promote community-based conservation of biodiversity in these forests or their administration should be handed over to temple authorities. Resumen: Los bosques sagrados representan una nueva frontera para la investigación interdisciplinaria y son relevantes para la conservación de la biodiversidad. No obstante, varios bosques sagrados carecen de una protección legal que garantice su integridad y conservación. Es necesario realizar acciones inmediatas para conciliar las necesidades de los pobladores locales y salvaguardar la salud de estos espacios sagrados. El presente estudio se llevó a cabo en Kunjapuri Siddhapeeth, que es uno de los 52 Siddhapeeths de la India. En el área de estudio se recolectó un total de 239 especies de plantas pertenecientes a 78 familias y 207 géneros. Entre éstas, se considera que nueve especies están amenazadas y tres son vulnerables. En la actualidad, la salud de este bosque sagrado se está deteriorando bajos las presiones antropogénicas constantes. Estos disturbios también constituyen una amenaza para varias plantas raras, vulnerables y amenazadas. Estos bosques son mantenidos y manejados por el departamento forestal y los pobladores locales no están cooperando. Por lo tanto, o el gobierno debería promover que la conservación de la biodiversidad en estos bosques tenga una base en la comunidad, o su administración debería pasar a manos de las autoridades del templo. Resumo: As florestas sagradas são a nova fronteira para a investigação interdisciplinar e é relevante para a conservação da biodiversidade. Contudo, várias florestas sagradas vêm enfrentando uma lacuna legal que não lhes garante a sua integridade e conservação. Para estabelecer a ligação entre as necessidades da população local e a salvaguarda da saúde deste lugares sagrados, é necessário assumir medidas imediatas. O presente estudo foi conduzido em Kunjapuri Siddhapeeth, que é um dos 52 Siddhapeeths da Índia. Um total de 239 espécies de plantas, pertencendo a 78 famílias e 207 géneros, foram colhidos na área de estudo. Destas, nove espécies são consideradas ameaçadas e três são vulneráveis. Presentemente, o estado desta floresta sagrada está a deteriorar-se sob a constante pressão antropogénica. Estes perturbações

Identifying divergent design thinking through the observable behavior of service design novices

© 2018, Springer Nature B.V. Design thinking holds the key to innovation processes, but is often difficult to detect because of its implicit nature. We undertook a study of novice designers engaged in team-based design exercises in order to explore the correlation between design thinking and designers’ physical (observable) behavior and to identify new, objective, design thinking identification methods. Our study addresses the topic by using data collection method of “think aloud” and data analysis method of “protocol analysis” along with the unconstrained concept generation environment. Collected data from the participants without service design experience were analyzed by open and selective coding. Through the research, we found correlations between physical activity and divergent thinking, and also identified physical behaviors that predict a designer’s transition to divergent thinking. We conclude that there are significant relations between designers’ design thinking and the behavioral features of their body and face. This approach opens possible new ways to undertake design process research and also design capability evaluation

Functional kinomics establishes a critical node of volume-sensitive cation-Cl^- cotransporter regulation in the mammalian brain

This is the final version of the article. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.There is another record in ORE for this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/33424Cell volume homeostasis requires the dynamically regulated transport of ions across the plasmalemma. While the ensemble of ion transport proteins involved in cell volume regulation is well established, the molecular coordinators of their activities remain poorly characterized. We utilized a functional kinomics approach including a kinome-wide siRNA-phosphoproteomic screen, a high-content kinase inhibitor screen, and a kinase trapping-Orbitrap mass spectroscopy screen to systematically identify essential kinase regulators of KCC3 Thr991/Thr1048 phosphorylation – a key signaling event in cell swelling-induced regulatory volume decrease (RVD). In the mammalian brain, we found the Cl−-sensitive WNK3-SPAK kinase complex, required for cell shrinkage-induced regulatory volume decrease (RVI) via the stimulatory phosphorylation of NKCC1 (Thr203/Thr207/Thr212), is also essential for the inhibitory phosphorylation of KCC3 (Thr991/Thr1048). This is mediated in vivo by an interaction between the CCT domain in SPAK and RFXV/I domains in WNK3 and NKCC1/KCC3. Accordingly, genetic or pharmacologic WNK3-SPAK inhibition prevents cell swelling in response to osmotic stress and ameliorates post-ischemic brain swelling through a simultaneous inhibition of NKCC1-mediated Cl− uptake and stimulation of KCC3-mediated Cl− extrusion. We conclude that WNK3-SPAK is an integral component of the long-sought “Cl−/volume-sensitive kinase” of the cation-Cl− cotransporters, and functions as a molecular rheostat of cell volume in the mammalian brain.We thank the excellent technical support of the MRC-Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (PPU) DNA Sequencing Service (coordinated by Nicholas Helps), the MRC-PPU tissue culture team (coordinated by Laura Fin), the Division of Signal Transduction Therapy (DSTT) antibody purification teams (coordinated by Hilary McLauchlan and James Hastie). We are grateful to the MRC PPU Proteomics facility (coordinated by David Campbell, Robert Gourlay and Joby Varghese). We thank for support the Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12016/2; DRA) and the pharmaceutical companies supporting the Division of Signal Transduction Therapy Unit (AstraZeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck KGaA, Janssen Pharmaceutica and Pfizer; DRA). We thank Thomas J. Jentsch (Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin) for providing the KCC1/3 double KO mice and his reading of this manuscript. We thank Nathaniel Grey (Harvard) for providing the kinase inhibitor library used in this study (NIH LINCS Program grant U54HL127365). This work was also supported by a Harvard-MIT Neuroscience Grant (to KTK/SJE)

Fragmentation and Multifragmentation of 10.6A GeV Gold Nuclei

We present the results of a study performed on the interactions of 10.6A GeV gold nuclei in nuclear emulsions. In a minimum bias sample of 1311 interac- tions, 5260 helium nuclei and 2622 heavy fragments were observed as Au projec- tile fragments. The experimental data are analyzed with particular emphasis of target separation interactions in emulsions and study of criticalexponents. Multiplicity distributions of the fast-moving projectile fragments are inves- tigated. Charged fragment moments, conditional moments as well as two and three -body asymmetries of the fast moving projectile particles are determined in terms of the total charge remaining bound in the multiply charged projectile fragments. Some differences in the average yields of helium nuclei and heavier fragments are observed, which may be attributed to a target effect. However, two and three-body asymmetries and conditional moments indicate that the breakup mechanism of the projectile seems to be independent of target mass. We looked for evidence of critical point observable in finite nuclei by study the resulting charged fragments distributions. We have obtained the values for the critical exponents gamma, beta and tau and compare our results with those at lower energy experiment (1.0A GeV data). The values suggest that a phase transition like behavior, is observed.Comment: latex, revtex, 28 pages, 12 figures, 3tables, submitted to Europysics Journal

Transcriptomic profiling of host-parasite interactions in the microsporidian <i>Trachipleistophora hominis</i>

BACKGROUND: Trachipleistophora hominis was isolated from an HIV/AIDS patient and is a member of a highly successful group of obligate intracellular parasites. METHODS: Here we have investigated the evolution of the parasite and the interplay between host and parasite gene expression using transcriptomics of T. hominis-infected rabbit kidney cells. RESULTS: T. hominis has about 30 % more genes than small-genome microsporidians. Highly expressed genes include those involved in growth, replication, defence against oxidative stress, and a large fraction of uncharacterised genes. Chaperones are also highly expressed and may buffer the deleterious effects of the large number of non-synonymous mutations observed in essential T. hominis genes. Host expression suggests a general cellular shutdown upon infection, but ATP, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar production appear enhanced, potentially providing the parasite with substrates it cannot make itself. Expression divergence of duplicated genes, including transporters used to acquire host metabolites, demonstrates ongoing functional diversification during microsporidian evolution. We identified overlapping transcription at more than 100 loci in the sparse T. hominis genome, demonstrating that this feature is not caused by genome compaction. The detection of additional transposons of insect origin strongly suggests that the natural host for T. hominis is an insect. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal that the evolution of contemporary microsporidian genomes is highly dynamic and innovative. Moreover, highly expressed T. hominis genes of unknown function include a cohort that are shared among all microsporidians, indicating that some strongly conserved features of the biology of these enormously successful parasites remain uncharacterised. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1989-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Leishmania infantum Asparagine Synthetase A Is Dispensable for Parasites Survival and Infectivity

A growing interest in asparagine (Asn) metabolism has currently been observed in cancer and infection fields. Asparagine synthetase (AS) is responsible for the conversion of aspartate into Asn in an ATP-dependent manner, using ammonia or glutamine as a nitrogen source. There are two structurally distinct AS: the strictly ammonia dependent, type A, and the type B, which preferably uses glutamine. Absent in humans and present in trypanosomatids, AS-A was worthy of exploring as a potential drug target candidate. Appealingly, it was reported that AS-A was essential in Leishmania donovani, making it a promising drug target. In the work herein we demonstrate that Leishmania infantum AS-A, similarly to Trypanosoma spp. and L. donovani, is able to use both ammonia and glutamine as nitrogen donors. Moreover, we have successfully generated LiASA null mutants by targeted gene replacement in L. infantum, and these parasites do not display any significant growth or infectivity defect. Indeed, a severe impairment of in vitro growth was only observed when null mutants were cultured in asparagine limiting conditions. Altogether our results demonstrate that despite being important under asparagine limitation, LiAS-A is not essential for parasite survival, growth or infectivity in normal in vitro and in vivo conditions. Therefore we exclude AS-A as a suitable drug target against L. infantum parasites

Magnetic and spectral properties of adducts of copper(II) chlorobenzoates with substituted piperazines

1226-1232Adducts of Cu(OOCR)2 (where R = 2-, 3- or 4-ClC₆H₄) with saturated substituted piperazines of the type Cu(OOCR) ₂(L-L)ո [where n = 0.5 or 1 and L-L = 1-methylpiperazine (1-MePipz), 1,4-dimethylpiperazine (1,4-Me₂Pipz), 2,6-dimethylpiperazine (2,6-Me2Pipz) and 1-phenylpiperazine (1-PhPipz)] have been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared, electronic reflectance, electron paramagnetic resonance spectral and magnetic moment studies. Three complexes which have room temperature magnetic moment values lower than the spin only values and have room temperature electron paramagnetic resonance spectra corresponding to S = 1, rather than S = 1/2, have been further subjected to magnetic susceptibility and electron paramagnetic resonance spectral measurements at different temperatures to evaluate spin-exchange parameter (-2J = 282-313 cm⁻¹). Based upon the above studies, axially symmetric binuclear structure for complexes of the type Cu(OOCR)2(L-L), polymeric structure containing binuclear units for the Cu(OOCR)₂(L-L)₀․₅ complexes and axially symmetric polymeric square pyramidal or trans-pseudo octahedral structure for complexes of the type Cu(OOCR)₂(2,6-Me₂Pipz) (R = 2-, 3- and 4-ClC6H4), have been proposed