About the Second Neighborhood Problem in Tournaments Missing Disjoint Stars

Let $D$ be a digraph without digons. Seymour's second neighborhood conjecture states that $D$ has a vertex $v$ such that $d^+(v) \leq d^{++}(v)$. Under some conditions, we prove this conjecture for digraphs missing $n$ disjoint stars. Weaker conditions are required when $n = 2$ or $3$. In some cases we exhibit two such vertices

Lymphotoxins and cytomegalovirus cooperatively induce interferon-beta, establishing host-virus détente

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related cytokines regulate cell death and survival and provide strong selective pressures for viruses, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV), to evolve counterstrategies in order to persist in immune-competent hosts. Signaling by the lymphotoxin (LT)-β receptor or TNF receptor-1, but not Fas or TRAIL receptors, inhibits the cytopathicity and replication of human CMV by a nonapoptotic, reversible process that requires nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)-dependent induction of interferon-β (IFN-β). Efficient induction of IFN-β requires virus infection and LT signaling, demonstrating the need for both host and viral factors in the curtailment of viral replication without cellular elimination. LTα-deficient mice and LTβR-Fc transgenic mice were profoundly susceptible to murine CMV infection. Together, these results reveal an essential and conserved role for LTs in establishing host defense to CMV

A contribution to the second neighborhood problem

Seymour's Second Neighborhood Conjecture asserts that every digraph (without digons) has a vertex whose first out-neighborhood is at most as large as its second out-neighborhood. It is proved for tournaments, tournaments missing a matching and tournaments missing a generalized star. We prove this conjecture for classes of digraphs whose missing graph is a comb, a complete graph minus 2 independent edges, or a complete graph minus the edges of a cycle of length 5

Effect of Different Growth Conditions on Certain Biochemical Parameters of Different Cyanobacterial Strains

Aims: Variation in the traditional growth medium conditions to enhance the production of lipids, carbohydrates, protein and the free amino acids content of three cyanobacterial species. Methodology and Results: Three species of cyanobacteria (Anabaena laxa, Anabaena fertilissima and Nostoc muscorum) were collected from the culture collection of Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza, Egypt, to investigate their biochemical composition under different growth conditions, using BG110 (nitrogen free) as growth medium. These conditions were represented by control medium, static glucose medium with (1%, w/v), aerated medium (aerated by bubbling technique depending on CO2 normally existed in air with a concentration of 0.03%), molasses medium (0.7%, v/v) and aerated medium enriched with glucose (1%, w/v). Lipid content, total carbohydrates, soluble proteins and free amino acids were determined at the previous conditions. Glucose at 0.7% (w/v) was the most favorable for lipid production in A. laxa, where it exhibited the highest lipid content (427 μg/g fresh wt.). Increasing molasses concentration up to 0.7% (v/v) produced an increase in lipid contents of the tested cyanobacterial strains. The highest lipid content of both N. muscorum (366.2 μg/g fresh wt.) and A. laxa (357.4 μg/g fresh wt.) were recorded at molasses concentrations of 0.1 and 0.7% (v/v), respectively. A. laxa expressed high significant values for both proteins (31.6 μg/mL) and free amino acids (40.5 mg/g dry wt.) after 6 days of incubation period under aerated enriched glucose condition (1%, w/v). Also, at the same growth conditions, A. fertilissima exhibited high significant values for carbohydrates at 4th day (876.8 mg/g dry wt.). Conclusion, significance and impact of study: Aerated enriched glucose medium (1%, w/v) was the best growth medium condition used in the present study

Push-pull zinc phthalocyanine bearing hexa-tertiary substituted carbazolyl donor groups for dye-sensitized solar cells

An asymmetrical, push-pull phthalocyanine bearing bulky tert-butylcarbazolyl moieties as electron donor and carboxylic acid as anchoring group was synthetized and tested as a photosensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The new photosensitizer was characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, UV-Vis and mass spectrometry. The bulky tert-butylcarbazolyl moieties avoid the aggregation of the phthalocyanine dye. DFT studies indicate that the HOMO is delocalized throughout the π-electron system of the substituted phthalocyanine and the LUMO is located on the core of the molecule with a sizable electron density distribution on carboxyl groups. The new dye has been used as a photosensitizer in transparent and opaque dye-sensitized solar cells, which exhibit poor efficiencies related to a low JscThis work was financially supported by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science (Grant Number PN18-12-SC01) and the RSP unit general facilities of the Faculty of Science GFS (GS 01/01, GS 03/01, GS 01/03, GS 01/05, and GS 02/13) (S.M.). T.T. thanks MINECO (project CTQ2017-85393-P) and ERA-NET/European Commission/MINECO, (UNIQUE, SOLAR-ERA.NET Cofund 2 Nº 008/PCI2019-111889-2). R.D. acknowledges ANR for funding through ODYCE project. (Grant agreement No ANR-14-OHRI-0003-01). RD thanks European Research Council (ERC) for funding. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No 832606)—Project PISC

Pharmacy education and practice in 13 middle eastern countries

The Arab world has influenced the art and science of pharmacy for centuries. Pharmacy education and practice is continuing to evolve in the Arabic-speaking traditional Middle East countries, although relatively little information has been published in the English press. Our goal was to providea high-level synopsis of conditions in this region. We selected 13 countries for review. Information was obtained by reviewing the available published literature and individual university and program web sites, as well as contacting with program or country representatives. Seventy-eight active pharmacy schools in 12 countries were identified. At least 14,000 students (over 75% from Egypt) are admitted into baccalaureate degree programs every year. The 5-year baccalaureate degree remains the first professional degree to practice. While changes in pharmacy education have been relatively rapid over the past decade, the advancement of pharmacy practice, particularly in the private sector, appears to be slower. Hospital pharmacists often possess an advanced degree and tend to have a higher level of practice compared to that of community pharmacists. Despite the adversities that face academics and practitioners alike, there is a strong desire to advance the science and practice of pharmacy in the Middle East

Ligand induction of retinoic acid receptors alters an acute infection by murine cytomegalovirus

Here we report that administration of retinoids can alter the outcome of an acute murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection. We show that a crucial viral control element, the major immediate-early enhancer, can be activated by retinoic acid (RA) via multiple RA-responsive elements (DR2) that bind retinoid X receptor-retinoic acid receptor (RAR) heterodimers with apparent dissociation constants ranging from 15 to 33 nM. Viral growth is dramatically increased upon RA treatment of infected tissue culture cells. Using synthetic retinoid receptor-specific agonists and antagonists, we provide evidence that RAR activation in cells is required for mediating the response of MCMV to RA. Oral administration of RA to infected immunocompetent mice selectively exacerbates an infection by MCMV, while cotreatment with an RAR antagonist protects against the adverse effects of RA on MCMV infection. In conclusion, these chemical genetic experiments provide evidence that an RAR-mediated pathway can modulate in vitro and in vivo infections by MCMV

Back Reaction And Local Cosmological Expansion Rate

We calculate the back reaction of cosmological perturbations on a general relativistic variable which measures the local expansion rate of the Universe. Specifically, we consider a cosmological model in which matter is described by a single field. We analyze back reaction both in a matter dominated Universe and in a phase of scalar field-driven chaotic inflation. In both cases, we find that the leading infrared terms contributing to the back reaction vanish when the local expansion rate is measured at a fixed value of the matter field which is used as a clock, whereas they do not appear to vanish if the expansion rate is evaluated at a fixed value of the background time. We discuss possible implications for more realistic models with a more complicated matter sector.Comment: 7 pages, No figure

Prevalence and determinants of anemia among women of reproductive age in Thatta Pakistan: Findings from a cross-sectional study

Background: Anemia is a major public health concern among women of reproductive age leading to high maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Of the prior studies conducted in Pakistan, most focused on large urban areas and did not explore the determinants of anemia among women of reproductive age (WRA) across socio-demographic, dietary, reproductive, and biological domains. Thus, we aimed to study the prevalence and determinants of anemia among WRA in rural Pakistan.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in the Thatta district of Pakistan from September 2018 to January 2019 and enrolled 150 non-pregnant, married women. Data collectors administered a structured questionnaire to collect sociodemographic, reproductive and dietary data from women, who also provided stool and blood samples. We classified all WRA as anemic if their hemoglobin was \u3c12.0 g/dl. We performed logistic regression analysis to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and their respective 95% CIs to assess the determinants of anemia.Results: In our study, 61.3% of the enrolled women were anemic. In the multivariable analysis, we found that factors such as serum iron levels of less than 50 μg/dl (aOR: 7.17; 95% CI (2.94, 17.47)), history of breastfeeding (aOR: 2.43; 95% CI (1.04, 5.72)), living in a katcha house (aOR: 6.61; 95% CI (2.21, 19.87)), no consumption of meat (aOR: 4.18; 95% CI (1.66, 9.96)) were significantly associated with anemia among WRA. A history of more than one abortion (aOR: 0.06; 95% CI (0.01, 0.33) appeared protective for its association with anemia.Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate a high burden of anemia and its complex determinants among WRA in rural Pakistan. A combination of nutritional and educational strategies should be designed to encourage rural women to consume iron-rich foods in their diet with an access to adequate food. Breastfeeding women should be encouraged to consume extra calories with sufficient intake of the food to continue exclusive breastfeeding and reserve the iron stores through amenorrhea to prevent themselves from becoming anemic