Two-photon absorption in potassium niobate

We report measurements of thermal self-locking of a Fabry-Perot cavity containing a potassium niobate (KNbO3) crystal. We develop a method to determine linear and nonlinear optical absorption coefficients in intracavity crystals by detailed analysis of the transmission lineshapes. These lineshapes are typical of optical bistability in thermally loaded cavities. For our crystal, we determine the one-photon absorption coefficient at 846 nm to be (0.0034 \pm 0.0022) per m and the two-photon absorption coefficient at 846 nm to be (3.2 \pm 0.5) \times 10^{-11} m/W and the one-photon absorption coefficient at 423 nm to be (13 \pm 2) per m. We also address the issue of blue-light-induced-infrared-absorption (BLIIRA), and determine a coefficient for this excited state absorption process. Our method is particularly well suited to bulk absorption measurements where absorption is small compared to scattering. We also report new measurements of the temperature dependence of the index of refraction at 846 nm, and compare to values in the literature.Comment: 8 pages. To appear in J. Opt. Soc. Am.

Complex microwave conductivity of Na-DNA powders

We report the complex microwave conductivity, $\sigma=\sigma_1-i\sigma_2$, of Na-DNA powders, which was measured from 80 K to 300 K by using a microwave cavity perturbation technique. We found that the magnitude of $\sigma_1$ near room temperature was much larger than the contribution of the surrounding water molecules, and that the decrease of $\sigma_1$ with decreasing temperature was sufficiently stronger than that of the conduction of counterions. These results clearly suggest that the electrical conduction of Na-DNA is intrinsically semiconductive.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure

Prescribing pattern of drugs in alcohol dependence in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Alcohol dependence is one of the more serious public health issues in the world. It not only affects health but is also a social and economic burden. Pharmacotherapy is the main stay of treatment along with behavioural therapy for alcohol addiction. The present study was done to analyse the prescribing pattern of drugs used in alcohol dependence.Methods: The present study is a retrospective study which was carried out in the Department of Psychiatry, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Medical College, Bengaluru from March 2016 to August 2016. Demographic, disease and treatment details were collected and entered in the case proformas. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results: A total of 125 prescriptions were analyzed. The most common age group was between 30-60 years with a male predominance (95.2%). 72% of patients were treated for alcohol dependence whereas 28% who had other co morbidities like psychosis and depression were treated appropriately. The most commonly prescribed drugs were Vitamins (74.4%), Benzodiazepines (BZDs) (56.8%), anti-craving drugs (52%), antipsychotics (20%) and anti-depressant drugs (8%). Lorazepam (45.6%) and Baclofen (46.1%) were the most common drugs prescribed among BZDs and Anti-craving drugs respectively. For affective disorders Olanzapine (36%) was the commonest drug prescribed.Conclusions: This study reveals that alcohol dependence is accompanied by other co-morbidities like psychosis, depression and anxiety. Combined therapy of Vitamins, BZDs, Anti-craving drugs along with Antipsychotic or Antidepressant drugs have been prescribed to the patients. Newer anti-craving drugs like Baclofen, Acamprosate and Naltrexone have also been prescribed

PO and ID BCG vaccination in humans induce distinct mucosal and systemic immune responses and CD4(+) T cell transcriptomal molecular signatures.

Protective efficacy of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) may be affected by the methods and routes of vaccine administration. We have studied the safety and immunogenicity of oral (PO) and/or intradermal (ID) administration of BCG in healthy human subjects. No major safety concerns were detected in the 68 healthy adults vaccinated with PO and/or ID BCG. Although both PO and ID BCG could induce systemic Th1 responses capable of IFN-γ production, ID BCG more strongly induced systemic Th1 responses. In contrast, stronger mucosal responses (TB-specific secretory IgA and bronchoalveolar lavage T cells) were induced by PO BCG vaccination. To generate preliminary data comparing the early gene signatures induced by mucosal and systemic BCG vaccination, CD4(+) memory T cells were isolated from subsets of BCG vaccinated subjects pre- (Day 0) and post-vaccination (Days 7 and 56), rested or stimulated with BCG infected dendritic cells, and then studied by Illumina BeadArray transcriptomal analysis. Notably, distinct gene expression profiles were identified both on Day 7 and Day 56 comparing the PO and ID BCG vaccinated groups by GSEA analysis. Future correlation analyses between specific gene expression patterns and distinct mucosal and systemic immune responses induced will be highly informative for TB vaccine development.Mucosal Immunology advance online publication 30 August 2017; doi:10.1038/mi.2017.67

ATPγS stalls splicing after B complex formation but prior to spliceosome activation.

The ATP analog ATPγS inhibits pre-mRNA splicing in vitro, but there have been conflicting reports as to which step of splicing is inhibited by this small molecule and its inhibitory mechanism remains unclear. Here we have dissected the effect of ATPγS on pre-mRNA splicing in vitro. Addition of ATPγS to splicing extracts depleted of ATP inhibited both catalytic steps of splicing. At ATPγS concentrations ≥0.5 mM, precatalytic B complexes accumulate, demonstrating a block prior to or during the spliceosome activation stage. Affinity purification of the ATPγS-stalled B complexes (B(ATPγS)) and subsequent characterization of their abundant protein components by 2D gel electrophoresis revealed that B(ATPγS) complexes are compositionally more homogeneous than B complexes previously isolated in the presence of ATP. In particular, they contain little or no Prp19/CDC5L complex proteins, indicating that these proteins are recruited after assembly of the precatalytic spliceosome. Under the electron microscope, B(ATPγS) complexes exhibit a morphology highly similar to B complexes, indicating that the ATPγS-induced block in the transformation of the B to B(act) complex is not due to a major structural defect. Likely mechanisms whereby ATPγS blocks spliceosome assembly at the activation stage, including inhibition of the RNA helicase Brr2, are discussed. Given their more homogeneous composition, B complexes stalled by ATPγS may prove highly useful for both functional and structural analyses of the precatalytic spliceosome and its conversion into an activated B(act) spliceosomal complex

A prospective randomised open labelled comparative study of anti inflammatory effects of topical 5% benzoyl peroxide gel vs topical 4% nicotinamide gel for grade I-II acne in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Acne vulgaris is a dermatological disorder characterised by formation of comedones and inflammatory lesions. The treatment of acne basically involves reduction of lesions. Benzoyl peroxide, in concentrations of 5%, 10%, and 20%, has been used effectively in the treatment of acne for more than 20 years. Nicotinamide/ Niacinamide is a newly-approved anti-acne drug with a potent anti-inflammatory effect. The present study assessed the efficacy of 5% Benzoyl peroxide gel in comparison to 4% Nicotinamide gel for topical treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris.Methods: In this study, the patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris with inflammation were divided into two groups, group I was treated with topical 5% Benzoyl peroxide gel whereas topical Nicotinamide gel was given to the group II. Assessment of efficacy was done by total lesion counting according acne global severity index, the results were compared at the end of 2 weeks and 4 weeks with the baseline values.Results: At the end of this study, it was found that the reduction of inflammatory and total percentage of decrease in counts of lesions from baseline were highly significant in both the groups (p<0.001), between the groups, differences were statistically significant (p<0.001), therefore 5% Benzoyl peroxide gel has better efficacy than 4% Nicotinamide gel.Conclusions: Benzoyl peroxide is more efficacious than 4 % Nicotinamide gel in mild to moderate acne

Health Link for Pharmacist-led Public Health Programmes in Zimbabwe: Developing education pathways through partnership.

Background. Forming collaborations and partnerships across borders is a principal componenet of transnational education practice. One approach to establishing transnational partnerships is to form alliances based on best-practice. Pharmaceutical public health education and training and the delivery of pharmaceutical services with a public health message is an area where transnational approaches can be fostered. Objectives The objective of the project was to establish a partnership (Health Link) between the pharmacist professional bodies of Zimbabwe and Great Britain in order to develop the capacity and capabilities of pharmacists in Zimbabwe to deliver public health programmes. Methods The process involved partner selection and engagement, as well as engagement with a range of stakeholders. The methods of engagement involved partners’ meetings, a field visit to Zimbabwe for discussions with relevant stakeholders, a feedback workshop and dissemination activities. The set indicators of success were: agreed aims and objectives, agreed work streams, and establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Outcomes The project was successfully implemented with two of the three indicators of success (agreed aims and objectives and agreed work streams) achieved. A formalized Memorandum of Understanding is now being developed across the partner organizations, which forms the basis of a formal transnational approach to developing pharmaceutical public health education in Zimbabwe

Taking up the cudgels against gay rights? Trends and trajectories in African Christian theologies on homosexuality

Against the background of the HIV epidemic and the intense public controversy on homosexuality in African societies, this article investigates the discourses of academic African Christian theologians on homosexuality. Distinguishing some major strands in African theology, that is, inculturation, liberation, women’s and reconstruction theology, the article examines how the central concepts of culture, liberation, justice, and human rights function in these discourses. On the basis of a qualitative analysis of a large number of publications, the article shows that stances of African theologians are varying from silence and rejection to acceptance. Although many African theologians have taken up the cudgels against gay rights, some “dissident voices” break the taboo and develop more inclusive concepts of African identity and African Christianity

Charge Pump Clock Generation PLL for the Data Output Block of the Upgraded ATLAS Pixel Front-End in 130 nm CMOS

FE-I4 is the 130 nm ATLAS pixel IC currently under development for upgraded Large Hadron Collider (LHC) luminosities. FE-I4 is based on a low-power analog pixel array and digital architecture concepts tuned to higher hit rates [1]. An integrated Phase Locked Loop (PLL) has been developed that locally generates a clock signal for the 160 Mbit/s output data stream from the 40 MHz bunch crossing reference clock. This block is designed for low power, low area consumption and recovers quickly from loss of lock related to single-event transients in the high radiation environment of the ATLAS pixel detector. After a general introduction to the new FE-I4 pixel front-end chip, this work focuses on the FE-I4 output blocks and on a first PLL prototype test chip submitted in early 2009. The PLL is nominally operated from a 1.2V supply and consumes 3.84mW of DC power. Under nominal operating conditions, the control voltage settles to within 2% of its nominal value in less than 700 ns. The nominal operating frequency for the ring-oscillator based Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) is fVCO = 640MHz. The last sections deal with a fabricated demonstrator that provides the option of feeding the single-ended 80MHz output clock of the PLL as a clock signal to a digital test logic block integrated on-chip. The digital logic consists of an eight bit pseudo-random binary sequence generator, an eight bit to ten bit coder and a serializer. It processes data with a speed of 160 Mbit/s. All dynamic signals are driven off-chip by custommade pseudo-LVDS drivers