The New Fat Higgs: Slimmer and More Attractive

In this paper we increase the MSSM tree level higgs mass bound to a value that is naturally larger than the LEP-II search constraint by adding to the superpotential a $\lambda S H_{u}H_{d}$ term, as in the NMSSM, and UV completing with new strong dynamics {\it before} $\lambda$ becomes non-perturbative. Unlike other models of this type the higgs fields remain elementary, alleviating the supersymmetric fine-tuning problem while maintaining unification in a natural way.Comment: 14 pages and 2 figures. Added references and updated argument about constraints from reheating temperatur

Association of thyroid status with hemoglobin levels in pregnancy

Background: The association of hemoglobin levels with thyroid status in pregnancy was not studied in detail. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the levels of hemoglobin, thyroid function and its association with hemoglobin levels in first trimester of pregnancy.Methods: Fifty pregnant women who didn’t start any supplementation were recruited from the obstetrics and gynecology outpatient department. Fifty age matched controls were recruited from the residents and staff of the hospital.  Thyroid profile and hemoglobin levels were measured in both the groups. The association was seen between hemoglobin levels and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.Results: The hemoglobin levels are significantly low in first trimester pregnant women. Further, the increased TSH levels are negatively correlated with low hemoglobin levels.Conclusions: Screening of hemoglobin levels in first trimester itself will be beneficial to prevent the complications of pregnancy. Further, hypothyroidism also present and associated with reduced hemoglobin. So, early diagnosis of these deficiencies will be useful to start giving supplements to avoid unwanted effects in pregnancy

Anti-Tac(Fv)-PE40, a single chain antibody Pseudomonas fusion protein directed at interleukin 2 receptor bearing cells

Anti-Tac(Fv)-PE40 is a chimeric single chain immunotoxin in which anti-Tac variable heavy and light chains held together by a peptide linker are attached to PE40, a truncated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin. This molecule was shown to be extremely cytotoxic for interleukin 2 (IL2) receptor bearing cells in tissue culture (Chaudhary, V. K., Queen, C., Junghans, R. P., Waldmann, T. A., FitzGerald, D. J., and Pastan, I. (1989) Nature 339, 394-397). Here we describe various forms of anti-Tac(Fv)-PE40 protein in which the order of the variable domains of anti-Tac has been switched and also three different types of peptide linkers have been used. All these proteins were purified to near homogeneity and were found to have similar cytotoxic activities against various human cells expressing the p55 subunit of the IL2 receptor. Anti-Tac(Fv)-PE40 was also found to have a very potent suppressive activity against phytohemagglutinin-activated human lymphoblasts and in a human mixed lymphocyte reaction. Anti-Tac(Fv)-PE40 appeared in the blood rapidly in mice after intraperitoneal administration and could be detected in the blood for up to 8 h. Anti-Tac(Fv)-PE40 warrants evaluation as an anti-tumor and immunosuppressive agent in humans

Comparison between caudal epidural block and popliteal nerve block for postoperative analgesia in children undergoing foot surgery: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Pain following surgery in children cause discomfort, restlessness and agitation in the postoperative period which may result in an increased incidence of nausea, vomiting and maladaptive behavioural changes. Regional anaesthesia is commonly used as an adjunct to general anaesthesia for perioperative analgesia in children as part of a multimodal approach of pain relief. This study is to compare between caudal epidural block and popliteal nerve block for postoperative analgesia in children undergoing foot surgery.Methods: A prospective randomized single blind study was carried out on 30 children aged 1-12 years of either sex undergoing foot surgery. Patients were randomly assigned into caudal epidural block group and Popliteal nerve block group, 15 children each. Both groups receive 1 ml/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine. Foot surgery was carried out under general anesthesia along with regional block for all children. After completion of surgery, children were shifted to PACU and HR, BP, SPO2 were monitored. Patient was discharged from PACU after CHEOPS (1-5 years) or VAS (6-12 years) <4. Parental satisfaction, sedation score, PONV, and any other side effects were recorded.Results: Demographic data and baseline vital signs were comparable between two groups. Statistically significant difference (p=0.025) in number of attempts in giving block in group A (1.20±0.41) than group B (1.80±0.86). The mean postoperative pain scores, CHEOPS and VAS were comparable in both groups.Conclusions: Both caudal epidural block and popliteal nerve block provides comparable and adequate analgesia in children undergoing elective foot surgery

A rapid method of cloning functional variable-region antibody genes in Escherichia coli as single-chain immunotoxins

We have devised a strategy based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the rapid cloning of functional antibody genes as single-chain immunotoxins. RNA from a hybridoma producing an antibody (OVB3) that reacts with ovarian cancer cells was used as a template to make the first strand of a cDNA. Then a second strand was synthesized and amplified by using two sets of DNA primers that (i) hybridized to the ends of the light- and heavy-chain variable regions, (ii) encoded a linker peptide, and (iii) contained appropriate restriction enzyme sites for cloning. After 30 cycles of PCR, the DNA fragments containing sequences encoding the light- and heavy-chain variable regions were cloned into an Escherichia coli expression vector containing a portion of the Pseudomonas exotoxin gene. Clones encoding recombinant single-chain immunotoxins were expressed in E. coli and the protein product was assessed for its ability to bind to or kill cells bearing the OVB3 antigen. By using this approach it should be possible to rapidly clone the functional variable region sequences of many different antibodies from hybridoma RNA

Intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired bacteraemia and ICU mortality and discharge:Addressing time-varying confounding using appropriate methodology

Background: Studies often ignore time-varying confounding or may use inappropriate methodology to adjust for time-varying confounding. Aim: To estimate the effect of intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired bacteraemia on ICU mortality and discharge using appropriate methodology. Methods: Marginal structural models with inverse probability weighting were used to estimate the ICU mortality and discharge associated with ICU-acquired bacteraemia among patients who stayed more than two days at the general ICU of a London teaching hospital and remained bacteraemia-free during those first two days. For comparison, the same associations were evaluated with (i) a conventional Cox model, adjusting only for baseline confounders and (ii) a Cox model adjusting for baseline and time-varying confounders. Findings: Using the marginal structural model with inverse probability weighting, bacteraemia was associated with an increase in ICU mortality (cause-specific hazard ratio (CSHR): 1.29; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-1.63)and a decrease in discharge (CSHR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.45-0.60). By 60 days, among patients still in the ICU after two days and without prior bacteraemia, 8.0% of ICU deaths could be prevented by preventing all ICU-acquired bacteraemia cases. The conventional Cox model adjusting for time-varying confounders gave substantially different results [for ICU mortality, CSHR: 1.08 (95% CI: 0.88-1.32); for discharge, CSHR: 0.68 (95% CI: 0.60-0.77)]. Conclusion: In this study, even after adjusting for the timing of acquiring bacteraemia and time-varying confounding using inverse probability weighting for marginal structura

Differential and temperature dependent regulation of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase by specific chromosome in wheat grains

A stock of disomic chromosome substitution (DCS) lines having specific chromosome of wheat variety C591 substituted in the background of rest of Chinese spring chromosomes, were used to analyze grain yield components as a function of enzyme activity of ADP–glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), a starch biosynthesis enzyme in wheat grains. Associations between yield characteristics, grain growth rate (GGR) and AGPase enzyme activity of DCS lines suggested a major involvement of chromosome 3A, 4B, 7D and 2D in a temperature dependent manner. Assessment of AGPase assay at different developmental stages such as 14, 21, 28 days post anthesis (DPA) embodied that gene(s) for this enzyme are present on specific chromosomes and operate at different stages of grain development. The DCS line with 7D chromosome has a major contribution in determining the grain starch content. In this line, AGPase enzyme activity was highest at 21 DPA and was the most crucial determinant in its high GGR. Line 4B performed well at only early stage (14 DPA) suggesting that line 4B AGPase requires a lower temperature range for activation as compared to 7D line. Line 3A had substantially reduced (40%) test weights revealing the presence of few down-regulatory elements on chromosome 3A to reduce the activity of AGPase. The DCS line 2D showed higher test weights and grain number than all other lines ascribed to a consistent AGPase activity along with an efficient mechanism for translocation of photosynthates from source to sink. The chromosome 2D shows positive relation with yield attributes therefore, it can be employed to improve wheat productivity via analytical breeding programme

A Novel A1 Adenosine Receptor Antagonist, L-97-1 [3-[2-(4-Aminophenyl)-ethyl]-8-benzyl-7-{2-ethyl-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-amino]-ethyl}-1-propyl-3,7-dihydro-purine-2,6-dione], Reduces Allergic Responses to House Dust Mite in an Allergic Rabbit Model of Asthma

Adenosine, an important signaling molecule in asthma, produces bronchoconstriction in asthmatics. Adenosine produces bronchoconstriction in allergic rabbits, primates, and humans by activating A1 adenosine receptors (ARs). Effects of L-97-1 [3-[2-(4-aminophenyl)-ethyl]-8-benzyl-7-{2-ethyl- (2-hydroxy-ethyl)-amino]-ethyl}-1-propyl-3,7-dihydro-purine-2,6-dione] a water-soluble, small molecule A1 AR antagonist were investigated on early and late phase allergic responses (EAR and LAR) in a hyper-responsive rabbit model of asthma. Rabbits were made allergic by intraperitoneal injections of house dust mite [HDM; 312 allergen units (AU)] extract within 24 h of their birth. Booster HDM injections were given weekly for 1 month, biweekly for 4 months, and continued monthly thereafter. Hyper-responsiveness was monitored by measuring lung dynamic compliance (Cdyn), after histamine or adenosine aerosol challenge in allergic rabbits. Hyper-responsive rabbits were subjected to aerosol of HDM (2500 AU), 1 h after intragastric administration of L-97-1 (10 mg/kg) solution or an equivalent volume of saline. Cdyn was significantly higher after treatment with L-97-1 compared with untreated controls (p < 0.05 n = 5). Histamine PC30 was significantly higher (p < 0.05; n = 5) after L-97-1 at 24 h compared with histamine PC30 at 24 h after HDM. Adenosine PC30 was significantly higher at 15 min and 6 h after L-97-1 compared with control (p < 0.05; n = 5). L-97-1 showed strong affinity for human A1 ARs in radioligand binding studies and no inhibition toward human phosphodiesterase II, III, IV, and V enzymes. These data suggest that L-97-1 produces a significant reduction of histamine or adenosine-induced hyper-responsiveness and HDMinduced EAR and LAR in allergic rabbits by blocking A1 ARs and may be beneficial as an oral therapy for human asthma. Originally published Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapies, Vol. 315, No. 1, Oct 200

On multigraded generalizations of Kirillov-Reshetikhin modules

We study the category of Z^l-graded modules with finite-dimensional graded pieces for certain Z+^l-graded Lie algebras. We also consider certain Serre subcategories with finitely many isomorphism classes of simple objects. We construct projective resolutions for the simple modules in these categories and compute the Ext groups between simple modules. We show that the projective covers of the simple modules in these Serre subcategories can be regarded as multigraded generalizations of Kirillov-Reshetikhin modules and give a recursive formula for computing their graded characters

Mould incidence and mycotoxin contamination in freshly harvested maize kernels originated from India

BACKGROUND: In this study, mould incidence and mycotoxin contamination were determined in freshly harvested maize samples collected from different agroclimatic regions of India. A total of 150 freshly harvested maize samples from major maize-growing areas of India (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu) were collected during winter seasons 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 to determine their toxigenic fungal incidences, and mycotoxins were analyzed and quantified by high-perfomance liquid chromatography. A total of 288 fungal isolates comprising Fusarium, Aspergillus and Penicillium species were tested for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol (DON) and T-2 toxin) and fumonisin B1 (FB1). Chemotype determination of fungal isolates was carried out by molecular and chemical analysis through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and high-performance thin layer chromatography respectively. The diversity and distribution of the mycoflora among the studied samples were recorded in terms of frequency, density, importance value index and diversity indices. RESULTS: A total of 288 fungal isolates were recovered from the 150 maize samples, of which 28 were positive for AFB1, 20 for OTA, 58 for FB1, 23 for DON and 11 for T-2 toxin chemotypes by PCR. Species-specific PCR assays were in line with morphological analysis. Toxigenic fungal incidences were found throughout the study region, and most of the toxins under study exceeded the maximum legal limits. The range of observed toxin concentrations were 48-58 &micro;g AFB1, 76-123 &micro;g FB1, 38-50 &micro;g T-2, 72-94 &micro;g DON and &lt;5 &micro;g OTA kg(-1) grain sample. CONCLUSION: Owing to the high incidences of toxigenic moulds and mycotoxins in the study area, there is a need for the creation of mycotoxin awareness among maize farmers of India to control the chronic adverse health effects on humans and livestock due to mycotoxins.</p