Rest-frame stacking of 2XMM catalog sources : Properties of the Fe Kalpha line

The aim of this work is to characterize the average Fe K emission properties of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the source rest-frame. We selected a sample of 248 AGNs from the 2XMM catalog, covering a wide redshift range 0 < z < 5 and with the EPIC-PN net 2-10 keV rest-frame counts >=200 and power law photon indices in the range 1.5-2.2. We employed two fully independent rest-frame stacking procedures to compute the mean Fe K profile. The counting statistics for the integrated spectrum is comparable to the one available for the best studied local Seyferts. To identify the artifacts possibly introduced by the stacking procedure, we have carried out simulations. We report that the average Fe K line profile in our sample is best represented by a combination of a narrow and a broad line. The equivalent widths of the narrow and broad (parametrized with a diskline) components are ~30 eV and ~100 eV, respectively. We also discuss the results of more complex fits and the implications of the adopted continuum modeling on the broad line parameters and its detection significance.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, Accepted for publication in A&

Navier's slip condition and magnetic field effects on unsteady stagnation point flow subject to a stretched plate along to viscous dissipation and Joule heating utilizing nanofluids

861-876This article mainly addresses Navier's slip boundary condition impact on two-dimensional, unsteady magneto hydrodynamic flow of electrically conducting viscous nanofluids adjacent to stagnation region due to a stretchable wall along to viscous dissipation and Joule heating. Nanofluids are taken namely silver-water, copper-water, titanium dioxide-water and alumina-water. Transformation procedure applied reduces the set of nonlinear partial differential equations into a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Resulting governing boundary layer equations are numerically solved by establishing a Keller-box method. Effects of different nanofluids, stretching parameter, slip parameter; solid volume fraction, unsteadiness parameter, magnetic parameter and Eckert number on velocity and temperature distributions are illustrated via graphs and explained in details. Computational values of local skin friction and local Nusselt number for influences of specified parameters are found out and indicated in tabular mode. Moreover, dual solutions exist by cause of negative values of unsteadiness parameter in fluid flow, fluid temperature, wall shear stress and wall heat flux

Role of the Transcriptional Coactivator CBP/p300 in Linking Basic Helix-Loop-Helix and CREB Responses for Follicle-Stimulating Hormone-Mediated Activation of the Transferrin Promoter in Sertoli Cells

Sertoli cells are the epithelial cells responsible for the onset of pubertal development and the maintenance of spermatogenesis in the adult. Transferrin is one of the major secretory products expressed by differentiated Sertoli cells. Investigation of the transcriptional control of transferrin gene expression provides insight regarding the regulation of Sertoli cell differentiation. The optimal activation of the mouse transferrin promoter (mTf) by FSH requires the synergistic actions of the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) binding to the cAMP response element-like proximal region II (PRII) and the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) binding to the E-box. Proximal region II alone is sufficient for cAMP-mediated activation. The proximity of the PRII and E-box (220 base pairs apart) suggests the possibility of interaction between CREB and bHLH proteins. Such an interaction can be mediated by transcriptional integrators such as CREB-binding protein (CBP) and/or p300 and may stabilize the binding of trans-acting factors to their respective cis-elements. Such an interaction may also provide a mechanism for cell-specific promoter activation. The hypothesis tested in this study was that CBP/p300 is required for the synergistic activation of the transferrin promoter involving PRII and E-box through the formation of a ternary complex. In the Sertoli cells, both CBP and p300 proteins are expressed. The effect of CBP/p300 on transferrin promoter activation and, hence, Sertoli cell function was studied by using antisense oligonucleotides (AS-oligo). In the presence of CBP/p300 AS-oligo, activity of the FSH-induced mTf-chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) was significantly lower as compared to the respective controls. Interestingly, AS-oligo had no effect on cAMP-induced activation of the transferrin promoter reporter construct (mTf-CAT). Mutations in the E-box (EB*) significantly reduced the FSH response. The presence of AS-oligo had no further effect on the FSH-mediated activation of the EB*-mTf-CAT construct but reduced cAMP-mediated activation. Mutations in the CRE-like PRII (PRII*) also significantly reduced the FSH response. Activation of the PRII*-mTf-CAT in response to cAMP was completely abolished. The presence of AS-oligo had no further effect on the FSH- or cAMP-mediated activation of the PRII*-mTf-CAT construct. In Sertoli cells, CBP/p300 was coimmunoprecipitated with CREB and the bHLH protein E47. These observations suggest that CBP/p300 appears to be involved in regulating FSH-mediated activation of the transferrin promoter by linking bHLH and CREB activities

Sequence Analysis of Rifampicin Resistance Determining Region (RRDR) of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis has become the cause for one of the most dreadful disease which the mankind has ever known i.e. Tuberculosis. The organism holds the ability to infect multiple organs at a time resulting in multiple symptomatic presentations in pathogenic condition while in non-pathogenic condition, it can lay dormant and remain asymptomatic. The research work presented here aimed at sequencing of Rifampicin Resistance Determining Region (RRDR) of the rpoB gene present in phenotypically multidrug resistant M. tuberculosis. The findings showed that the major point of mutations to be present within this region was at codon 516, 526, and 531. Early diagnosis of multidrug resistance in any pathogen has become a pre – requisite for proper treatment and efficient elimination of pathogenic organisms from the host with minimal toxicity. Similarly, understanding the mutation dynamics of target genes also help in novel drug design and discovery

Participatory Ranking of Fodders in the Western Hills of Nepal

Fodder is an important source of feed of the ruminants in Nepal. In the mid hills of Nepal, farmers generally practice integrated farming system that combines crop cultivation with livestock husbandry and agroforestry. Tree fodders are good sources of protein during the forage and green grass scarcity periods especially in dry season. Local communities possess indigenous knowledge for the selection of grasses and tree fodders at different seasons in mid hills of western Nepal. A study was conducted on the perception of farmers with respect to selection of fodder species in eight clusters in Kaski and Lumjung districts that range 900-2000 meter above sea level and receive average precipitation of 2000- 4500mm per annum. During the fodder preference ranking, farmers prepared the inventory of fodders found around the villages and nearby forests and selected top ten most important fodders in terms of their availability, palatability, fodder yield, milk yield and milk fat yield. In total, 23 top ranking fodders species were selected from the eight clusters. These fodder species were also ranked using pairwise ranking and weighted scoring methods and ranking was done on the basis of merit numbers obtained from weighted scores. The analysis revealed Artocarpus lakoocha as best tree fodder followed by Ficus semicordata, Thysanolena maxima and Ficus calvata. Similarly, the calendar of fodders trees for lopping season and the best feeding time was prepared on the basis of farmers\u27 local knowledge. This study suggests strategies for promotion of locally preferred tree fodder species and supplementing tree fodder with feed in different seasons depending on their availability and local preferences

Role of Winged Helix Transcription Factor (WIN) in the Regulation of Sertoli Cell Differentiated Functions: WIN Acts as an Early Event Gene for Follicle-Stimulating Hormone

Members of the winged helix transcription factor family are known to regulate epithelial cell differentiation by regulating cell-specific gene expression. rWIN is a newly discovered member of the winged helix family shown to be present in the adult rat testis. In the testis the human homolog of rWIN, HFH-11, was localized to the germ cells (i.e. spermatocytes and spermatids) undergoing spermatogenesis. In the present study we show that rWIN is also expressed in testicular Sertoli cells. Sertoli cells are the epithelial component of the semi-niferous tubule and provide both the cytoarchitectural support and the microenvironment for developing germ cells. The presence of rWIN in Sertoli cells was confirmed by Northern blot and RT-PCR analysis. The rWIN transcript size in the Sertoli cells was different from the germ cell transcript that is probably due to alternative splicing or modifications of the 3-untranslated region. At least two spliced variants of rWIN were observed in the Sertoli cells corresponding to the deletion of an exon in the DNA-binding region. Long term stimulation of cultured Sertoli cells with the gonadotropin FSH down-regulated rWIN expression. In contrast, short-term stimulation (2 h) transiently up-regulated rWIN expression. The FSH-induced transient stimulation of rWIN precedes expression of the transferrin gene that is a marker of Sertoli cell differentiation. FSH-induced transferrin promoter activity was inhibited when cultured Sertoli cells were treated with an antisense oligonucleotide to rWIN. Interestingly , the constitutive overexpression of the DNA-binding domain of rWIN also down-regulated transferrin promoter activity. Analysis of the transferrin promoter with various deletion mutations suggested that rWIN acts at an upstream gene of the transferrin promoter. The results indicate that a transient up-regulation of rWIN in part mediates the ability of FSH to activate the transferrin promoter, which can be inhibited with a rWIN antisense oligonucleotide or constitutive expression of the rWIN DNA-binding domain. The current study demonstrates that rWIN acts as an early event gene for FSH actions on Sertoli cells and that rWIN appears to have a role in the regulation of Sertoli cell differentiated functions. (Endocrinology 141: 2758 –2766, 2000

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