Spectral index variation across X-shaped radio galaxies

The formation mechanism of the enigmatic subclass of radio galaxies, called 'X-shaped radio galaxies' (XRGs), or 'winged' radio galaxies, which account for $\sim 10\%$ of the radio galaxy population, can be effectively constrained using the radio spectral-index distribution across their twin pairs of radio lobes. If indeed, the existing claims of no systematic spectral index difference between the wing and the associated primary lobe are valid in general, this would provide impetus to the XRG model attributing their origin to an unresolved binary of active supermassive black holes within the nucleus of the host galaxy. To investigate this interesting possibility, we have mapped spatial variation of spectral index for a well-defined sample of 25 XRGs, by combining their 1.4 GHz VLA (FIRST survey)/uGMRT maps with their 144 MHz maps (LoTSS-DR2). This has yielded the best available combination of sensitivity, angular resolution, frequency range and sample size, for spectral mapping of an XRG sample. A rich diversity of spectral index patterns is thus revealed in our XRG sample, but we find at most one case where a secondary lobe (wing) exhibits a flatter spectrum compared to its associated primary lobe. We conclude that such a spectral pattern is exceedingly rare and by no means a common trait of XRGs.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

Haemostatic abnormalities in solid malignancies

Background: Though the actual symptoms of any haemostatic abnormalities in patients of solid malignancies are not seen commonly screening in all such cases can guide us to correct those abnormalities in time and improve the outcome. The present study is undertaken with an objective to find out coagulation disorders in patients of solid malignancies and compare their levels according to the stage of the cancer.Methods: A prospective study was undertaken in a tertiary care centre in Maharashtra, India from December 2010 to September 2012. Total 102 cases with malignancies diagnosed on histopathology/cytological examination were tested for BT, CT, Platelet count, PT, APTT, TT and D-dimer levels. These tests were repeated on first postoperative or post chemotherapy day wherever possible. Early and advanced stages of cancer were divided according to the spread of the tumor. Results were compared between the two. DIC cases were also noted.Results: Out of 102 cases studied, haemostatic abnormalities were more common in adenocarcinomas that too in mucin secreting adenocarcinomas. The percentage of cases with increased D-dimer values was higher in the advanced disease compared to early disease. The PT, APTT, TT and platelet count showed statistically significant differences between the early and advanced disease groups. Compared to preoperative values, postoperative values were abnormal but the change was not statistically significant.Conclusions: Screening for coagulation profile in all solid malignancies can help to predict the chances of complication and therapeutic interventions can be done

Bacterial community structure analysis of soil treated with Parthenium hysterophorus L. derived green medium

The present study encompasses the analysis of bacterial community structure of soil in the presence of Parthenium hysterophorus derived green medium. The 16S microbiome profiling of the soil revealed that it consists of members from 15 bacterial phyla with the most prominent being Proteobacteria. The other predominant phyla were Plantomycetes, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi and Firmicutes. The maximum proportion of the bacterial community remained unclassified at genus and species level. Among the classified population the maximum number of bacteria belonged to Flavisolibacter followed by Kaistobacter, Bacillus, Optitutus, Balneimonas, Steroidobacter, Rhodoplanes and Gemmata

Isolation and characterization of the two subpopulations of cells with different lethalities from zajdela ascitic hepatoma

Two distinct subpopulations of cells, light (L-cells) and heavy (H-cells), have been isolated and characterized from a rat ascitic tumor, the Zajdela ascitic hepatoma. These two populations have been separated by Percoll density gradient centrifugation and studied by flow cytofluorimetry. The two populations, in addition to their difference in buoyant densities, show characteristically different profiles for DNA and RNA contents, nonspecific esterase activity, and surface amino group distribution. The DNA distribution in the two types of cells clearly shows that the H-cells are rapidly proliferating while the L-cells are quiescent. Studies on the two groups of cells after colchicine treatment also confirm this conclusion. The H-cell induced tumors kill the host animals rapidly while the L-cell induced tumors regress in about 3 months. The H- and L-cells from the Zajdela tumor form a convenient experimental system to study the marked difference in the progression of tumors induced by these cells, possible differences in gene expression in regressing and nonregressing tumors and the interactions between the subpopulations with a view to delineate molecular events governing tumor progression and tumor heterogeneity