Molecular Spectroscopic Characterization and Electronic Structure Analysis of N- benzylaniline- A DFT Approach

The FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra of N-benzylaniline[NBZA]  have been analysed in the region 4000-450cm-1 and 4000-50cm-1respectively. The geometrical structure, harmonic vibrational  frequency, infrared intensity, Raman activities and bonding features of the title compound were carried out by DFT method with B3LYP/6-311++G(d, p) basis set. The complete vibrational frequency assignments were made by normal co-ordinate analysis following the scaled quantum mechanical force field methodology (SQM). The charge transfer and hyperconjugative interactions have been analysed using natural bond orbital (NBO) and HOMO-LUMO analysis. The reactivity sites are identified by mapping the electron density into electrostatic potential surface (MESP). The thermodynamic properties of the title compound at the different temperatures have been calculated. The mulliken charges, the values of electric dipole moment (µ) of the molecule were computed using DFT calculations and the results are interpreted. The UV absorption spectrum of the title compound has been described at the experimental level

Genetic variability for grain yield and water use efficiency in blackgram genotypes

Transpiration efficiency (TE, g biomass kg-1 water transpired) is the preferred measure for examining po- tential genetic variation in crop water use efficiency (WUE). TE was assessed gravimetrically from sowing to grain harvest in fifteen blackgram accessions, two checks and two local varieties under well-watered conditions during kharif season. TEbiomass varied from 2.87 - 5.27 g kg-1 and TEseed varied from 1.10 - 2.03 g kg-1 among genotypes. High coefficient of variability was observed for seed yield and TEseed.Total biomass, TEbiomass, HI and water transpired recorded medium coefficient of variability. High heritability in broad sense was observed for seed yield, TEseed and total biomass. High genetic advance as percent of mean was observed for seed yield, TEseed, total biomass and TEbiomass. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for seed yield, total biomass and TEseed.TEseed is significantly positively correlated with TEbiomass (0.883**), seed yield/ plant (0.805**), HI (0.757**) and biomass (0.572*). TEbiomass, seed yield per plant, total biomass and HI were the important components of TEseed as revealed by correlation studies.D2 analysis partitioned the nineteen genotypes in to five clusters. The maximum inter cluster distance was observed between cluster II and V (24.94) and III and IV (22.6). Genotypes IC436665, IC343952 and Local II (Cluster III) had high mean values for TEbiomass and TEseed along with total biomass and seed yield. These genotypes should be useful in future breeding programs for higher water use efficiency

Bacterial RNA:DNA hybrids are activators of the NLRP3 inflammasome

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is an extracellular pathogen that causes hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. The proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1beta, has been linked to hemolytic uremic syndrome. Here we identify the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine rich repeat containing family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome as an essential mediator of EHEC-induced IL-1beta. Whereas EHEC-specific virulence factors were dispensable for NLRP3 activation, bacterial nucleic acids such as RNA:DNA hybrids and RNA gained cytosolic access and mediated inflammasome-dependent responses. Consistent with a direct role for RNA:DNA hybrids in inflammasome activation, delivery of synthetic EHEC RNA:DNA hybrids into the cytosol triggered NLRP3-dependent responses, and introduction of RNase H, which degrades such hybrids, into infected cells specifically inhibited inflammasome activation. Notably, an E. coli rnhA mutant, which is incapable of producing RNase H and thus harbors increased levels of RNA:DNA hybrid, induced elevated levels of NLRP3-dependent caspase-1 activation and IL-1beta maturation. Collectively, these findings identify RNA:DNA hybrids of bacterial origin as a unique microbial trigger of the NLRP3 inflammasome

Damage function for historic paper. Part I: Fitness for use

Background In heritage science literature and in preventive conservation practice, damage functions are used to model material behaviour and specifically damage (unacceptable change), as a result of the presence of a stressor over time. For such functions to be of use in the context of collection management, it is important to define a range of parameters, such as who the stakeholders are (e.g. the public, curators, researchers), the mode of use (e.g. display, storage, manual handling), the long-term planning horizon (i.e. when in the future it is deemed acceptable for an item to become damaged or unfit for use), and what the threshold of damage is, i.e. extent of physical change assessed as damage. Results In this paper, we explore the threshold of fitness for use for archival and library paper documents used for display or reading in the context of access in reading rooms by the general public. Change is considered in the context of discolouration and mechanical deterioration such as tears and missing pieces: forms of physical deterioration that accumulate with time in libraries and archives. We also explore whether the threshold fitness for use is defined differently for objects perceived to be of different value, and for different modes of use. The data were collected in a series of fitness-for-use workshops carried out with readers/visitors in heritage institutions using principles of Design of Experiments. Conclusions The results show that when no particular value is pre-assigned to an archival or library document, missing pieces influenced readers/visitors’ subjective judgements of fitness-for-use to a greater extent than did discolouration and tears (which had little or no influence). This finding was most apparent in the display context in comparison to the reading room context. The finding also best applied when readers/visitors were not given a value scenario (in comparison to when they were asked to think about the document having personal or historic value). It can be estimated that, in general, items become unfit when text is evidently missing. However, if the visitor/reader is prompted to think of a document in terms of its historic value, then change in a document has little impact on fitness for use

SPINT2 deregulation in prostate carcinoma

SPINT2 is a tumor suppressor gene that inhibits proteases implicated in cancer progression, like HGFA, hepsin and matriptase. Loss of SPINT2 expression in tumors has been associated with gene promoter hypermethylation; however, little is known about the mechanisms of SPINT2 deregulation in prostate cancer (PCa). We aimed to analyze SPINT2 expression levels and understand the possible regulation by SPINT2 promoter hypermethylation in PCa. In a cohort of 57 cases including non-neoplastic and PCa tissues, SPINT2 expression and promoter methylation was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and methylation-specific PCR, respectively. Methylation status of the SPINT2 promoter was also evaluated by bisulfite sequencing and 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine treatment. Oncomine and TCGA databases were used to perform in silico PCa analysis of SPINT2 mRNA and methylation levels. A reduction in SPINT2 expression levels from nonneoplastic to PCa tissues was observed; however, none of the cases exhibited SPINT2 promoter methylation. Both bisulfite sequencing and 5-aza demonstrated that SPINT2 promoter is not methylated in PCa cells. Bioinformatics approaches did not show downregulation of SPINT2 at the mRNA level and, in corroboration with our results, SPINT2 promoter region is reported to be unmethylated. Our study suggests an involvement of SPINT2 in PCa tumorigenesis, probably in association with a post-translational regulation of SPINT2.The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was supported by the ICVS internal research funds of participating authors and by FCT project, ref. PTDC/SAUONC/115513/2009. F.P. received fellowship from the FCT, ref. SFRH/BD/81369/2011 and M.VP from the ON.2 SR&TD Integrated Program (N-01-01-01-24-01-07), ref. UMINHO/ BPD/36/2013

Use of cetylpyridinium chloride for the storage of sputum samples and isolation of M. tuberculosis

Of 220 sputum specimens collected from pulmonary tuberculosis patients, 85 were culture positive when the sputum aliquots were stored with cetypyridinium chloride (CPC) and processed on 7th day (CPC method), whereas only 70 were culture positive when the aliquots of the same specimens were stored without CPC and processed by sodium hydroxide (NaOH) method. The difference in the culture positivity was statistically significant. The number of positive, cultures obtained by the CPC method (85) was comparable to that obtained by the NaOH method before storage (95) and the difference was not statistically significant

Genetic diversity of maize genotypes on the basis of morpho-physiological and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers

In this investigation, an attempt was made to assess the genetic diversity among 91 maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes using morpho-physiological and molecular markers. Variability was observed for six morpho-physiological traits namely, SPAD chlorophyll meter reading, canopy temperature, plant height, yield per plant, fodder yield and plant biomass as well as with simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. All the amplification products with 40 SSRs were in the range of 58 to 410 bp. A total of 124 alleles were generated and the number of alleles scored for 40 SSR loci ranged from 2 to 5 with a mean of 3.1 alleles per locus. Polymorphism information content ranged from 0.054 to 0.82 with a mean of 0.55 suggesting that all the selected genotypes possessed high level of polymorphism. The study indicates that five genotypes, RJR-247, RJR-159, NSJ-179, RJR-55 and Z101-15 were most diverse, so it is suggested that they may be used as genetic resources for maize improvement programme in future quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping for different agronomic traits and for developing new varieties with adaptation to a broad range of environments.Key words: Maize, SSR markers, genetic diversity, dendrogram

Financial Satisfaction of Older Person in Bukit Cerakah Selangor, Malaysia

The aging of human society is rapidly becoming a worldwide phenomenon, and now the world as a whole is ageing. The number of the world’s older persons has increased dramatically from only 205 million persons aged 60 years and older in 1950 to 2 billion by 2050. Research on financial satisfaction of older people outside Malaysia has been well documented, but our understanding of this issue in Malaysia remains limited. The present paper present the result of a cross-sectional survey conducted in rural Selangor, Malaysia, to analyze the financial satisfaction of older people. More specifically, the present paper analyzes: (1), demographic and socioeconomic profiles of older persons in rural Selangor Malaysia; (2), income status of older people in rural Selangor Malaysia; (3), level of financial satisfaction of older person, and (4), the importance of financial support from children among older people in rural Selangor Malaysia. This study was conducted in the village of Bukit Cerakah, one of the rural areas in the state of Selangor. This paper is basically employed a descriptive research design. It is used when a researcher seeks a better understanding and measure how variables are naturally distributed. There were 70 older persons aged 50 years and older were chosen through convenience sampling. Data were collected through structured and unstructured interviews with research participants, coupled with observations on their daily lives. Data were analyzed using descriptive and thematic approach. Results of the study revealed that: (1), older persons in this survey are 41 female, and 29 male, young old, aged between 69 or below. 60 of them reported as having primary or secondary school certificate and above, not working and still married; (2), there is substantial variation in their monthly income; from RM200 up to RM3000 per month. Only 44 of them have a monthly income of more than RM870, above poverty line income; (3), the number of older persons who satisfied and not satisfied with their financial situation are almost the same; and (4), there are 55 of older persons perceived financial support from children are important, or very important. To conclude, adult children are very important to older persons. The responsibility of adult children in the study area to support their elderly parents financially is still observed in the study area. Keywords: population ageing; older persons; rural areas; financial satisfaction; well-bein

Validation of DPOAE screening conducted by village health workers in a rural community with real-time click evoked tele-auditory brainstem response

OBJECTIVE : This study assessed the validity of DPOAE screening conducted by village health workers (VHWs) in a rural community. Real-time click evoked tele-auditory brainstem response (tele-ABR) was used as the gold standard to establish validity. DESIGN : A cross-sectional design was utilised to compare the results of screening by VHWs to those obtained via tele-ABR. STUDY SAMPLES : One hundred and nineteen subjects (0 to 5 years) were selected randomly from a sample of 2880 infants and young children who received DPOAE screening by VHWs. Method: Real time tele-ABR was conducted by using satellite or broadband internet connectivity at the village. An audiologist located at the tertiary care hospital conducted tele-ABR testing through a remote computing paradigm. Tele-ABR was recorded using standard recording parameters recommended for infants and young children. Wave morphology, repeatability and peak latency data were used for ABR analysis. RESULTS : Tele-ABR and DPOAE findings were compared for 197 ears. The sensitivity of DPOAE screening conducted by the VHW was 75%, and specificity was 91%. The negative and positive predictive values were 98.8% and 27.2%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS : The validity of DPOAE screening conducted by trained VHW was acceptable. This study supports the engagement of grass-root workers in community-based hearing health care provision.Indian Council of Medical Research (No.5/8/10-4(Oto)10-NCD-I).http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/iija20hj2019Speech-Language Pathology and Audiolog

Hubungan di antara imej korporat perbankan dengan kepuasan pelajar dan kualiti perkhidmatan

Pada amnya, ringkasan kajian adalah dilakukan untuk mengenalpasti tahap penerimaan dan penilaian imej korporat CIMB berdasarkan tahap kepuasan pelajar terhadap perkhidmatan yang disediakan oleh CIMB serta mengkaji imej korporat CIMB. Kajian ini dijalankan dengan bertujuan untuk mengkaji imej korporat CIMB dalam kalangan pelajar. Pengkaji telah mengambil CIMB tujuan utama untuk mengkaji tentang imej korporat cawangan CIMB dan menganalisis cara yang digunakan oleh pengurusan CIMB bagi mengatasi sebarang masalah dengan cara yang berkesan serta mengkaji teknik dan strategi yang digunakan oleh bahagian komunikasi korporat CIMB untuk mendapatkan kepercayaan pelanggan. Kaedah persampelan mudah telah digunakan dalam kajian ini. Seramai 150 responden telah menjawab soal selidik yang telah diedarkan. Kajian menggunakan borang soal selidik sebagai instrumen kajian bagi mencapai objektif kajian ini. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa imej korporat CIMB adalah memuaskan. Terdapat hubungan positif dan signifikan di antara kepuasan pelajar dan kualiti perkhidmatan dengan imej korporat CIMB. Berdasarkan kajian ini, kami mencadangkan pihak pengurusan CIMB perlu mengambil tindakan yang wajarnya bagi meningkatkan imej korporat mereka