The Effect of Espoused Culture on Acceptance of Online Tax Filing Services in an Emerging Economy

This paper investigates the impact of espoused national culture on the individuals’ acceptance of online tax filing services in an emerging economy. This study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior and incorporates the impact of taxpayers’ trust and skepticism on their intentions to adopt online tax filing. This paper studies the moderating effect of espoused national culture on tax payers’ intentions to e-file taxes using either government or private vendor tax filing portals. Our results indicate that higher subjective norm, positive attitude, higher perceived behavioral control, and higher perceived trust are linked to higher intentions of adopting online tax filing

Sustainable Phenylalanine-Derived SAILs for Solubilization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

The solubilization capacity of a series of sustainable phenylalanine-derived surface-active ionic liquids (SAILs) was evaluated towards polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—naphthalene, anthracene and pyrene. The key physico-chemical parameters of the studied systems (critical micelle concentration, spectral properties, solubilization parameters) were determined, analyzed and compared with conventional cationic surfactant, CTABr. For all studied PAH solubilization capacity increases with extension of alkyl chain length of PyPheOCn SAILs reaching the values comparable to CTABr for SAILs with n = 10–12. A remarkable advantage of the phenylalanine-derived SAILs PyPheOCn and PyPheNHCn is a possibility to cleave enzymatically ester and/or amide bonds under mild conditions, to separate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in situ. A series of immobilized enzymes was tested to determine the most suitable candidates for tunable decomposition of SAILs. The decomposition pathway could be adjusted depending on the choice of the enzyme system, reaction conditions, and selection of SAILs type. The evaluated systems can provide selective cleavage of the ester and amide bond and help to choose the optimal decomposition method of SAILs for enzymatic recycling of SAILs transformation products or as a pretreatment towards biological mineralization. The concept of a possible practical application of studied systems for PAHs solubilization/separation was also discussed focusing on sustainability and a green chemistry approach

Identifying key membrane protein lipid interactions using mass spectrometry

With the recent success in determining membrane protein structures, further detailed understanding of the identity and function of the bound lipidome is essential. Using an approach that combines high-energy native mass spectrometry (HE-nMS) and solution-phase lipid profiling, this protocol can be used to determine the identity of the endogenous lipids that directly interact with a protein. Furthermore, this method can identify systems in which such lipid binding has a major role in regulating the oligomeric assembly of membrane proteins. The protocol begins with recording of the native mass spectrum of the protein of interest, under successive delipidation conditions, to determine whether delipidation leads to disruption of the oligomeric state. Subsequently, we propose using a bipronged strategy: first, an HE-nMS platform is used that allows dissociation of the detergent micelle at the front end of the instrument. This allows for isolation of the protein-lipid complex at the quadrupole and successive fragmentation at the collision cell, which leads to identification of the bound lipid masses. Next, simultaneous coupling of this with in-solution LC-MS/MS-based identification of extracted lipids reveals the complete identity of the interacting lipidome that copurifies with the proteins. Assimilation of the results of these two sets of experiments divulges the complete identity of the set of lipids that directly interact with the membrane protein of interest, and can further delineate its role in maintaining the oligomeric state of the protein. The entire procedure takes 2 d to complete

PREVALENCE OF ANTI-HCV, HBSAG, HIV AMONG MULTI-TRANSFUSED THALASSEMIC INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND IN EASTERN INDIA

Objective: The objective was to study the serological prevalence of post-transfusion transmitted infections such as hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitisB virus (HBV), and HIV among multi-transfused thalassemic individuals of the Eastern India and the socio and financial difficulties faced by them.Methods: The study was carried out from January 2012 until December 2014 involving 1711 thalassemic major individuals. Blood serum wascollected from each patient to perform ELISA for the detection of HBV and HCV seroprevalence. HIV seropositivity along with their hematological andliver function parameters were obtained from the transfusion centers and the host institutions. Other socio-economic conditions were obtained bypredesigned proforma of the questionnaire.Results: 67.9% males and 32.1% females were present in our study population of which 75% were from rural area. The mean hemoglobin was foundto be lower, whereas mean ferritin, bilirubin, and liver enzymes were much higher than the normal range. Only a handful of 19.76% of the fathers ofthalassemic individuals had secondary education. 263 families (15.37%) were familiar with the chances of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs).The dominant TTI found within the population was HCV with 18.70% prevalence followed by HIV (3.74%) and HBV (3.33%). 82.93% of the affectedfamilies suffered poverty with a meager monthly income within Rs. 5000 fighting against high costs of transfusion and related treatments.Conclusion: Our study reflects the different socio-economic and psychological burdens faced by the thalassemia patients and their families. The highrate of TTIs highlights the need for stringent screening of blood or blood products before administration.Keywords: Thalassemia, Socio-economic, Transfusion-transmitted infections, Hepatitis C virus, Hepatitis B virus, HIV

Nanocolumnar Crystalline Vanadium Oxide-Molybdenum Oxide Antireflective Smart Thin Films with Superior Nanomechanical Properties

Vanadium oxide-molybdenum oxide (VO-MO) thin (21-475 nm) films were grown on quartz and silicon substrates by pulsed RF magnetron sputtering technique by altering the RF power from 100 to 600 W. Crystalline VO-MO thin films showed the mixed phases of vanadium oxides e.g., V2O5, V2O3 and VO2 along with MoO3. Reversible or smart transition was found to occur just above the room temperature i.e., at similar to 45-50 degrees C. The VO-MO films deposited on quartz showed a gradual decrease in transmittance with increase in film thickness. But, the VO-MO films on silicon exhibited reflectance that was significantly lower than that of the substrate. Further, the effect of low temperature (i.e., 100 degrees C) vacuum (10(-5) mbar) annealing on optical properties e.g., solar absorptance, transmittance and reflectance as well as the optical constants e.g., optical band gap, refractive index and extinction coefficient were studied. Sheet resistance, oxidation state and nanomechanical properties e.g., nanohardness and elastic modulus of the VO-MO thin films were also investigated in as-deposited condition as well as after the vacuum annealing treatment. Finally, the combination of the nanoindentation technique and the finite element modeling (FEM) was employed to investigate yield stress and von Mises stress distribution of the VO-MO thin films

The role of interfacial lipids in stabilizing membrane protein oligomers

Oligomerization of membrane proteins in response to lipid binding has a critical role in many cell-signalling pathways1 but is often difficult to define2 or predict3. Here we report the development of a mass spectrometry platform to determine simultaneously the presence of interfacial lipids and oligomeric stability and to uncover how lipids act as key regulators of membrane-protein association. Evaluation of oligomeric strength for a dataset of 125 α-helical oligomeric membrane proteins reveals an absence of interfacial lipids in the mass spectra of 12 membrane proteins with high oligomeric stability. For the bacterial homologue of the eukaryotic biogenic transporters (LeuT4, one of the proteins with the lowest oligomeric stability), we found a precise cohort of lipids within the dimer interface. Delipidation, mutation of lipid-binding sites or expression in cardiolipin-deficient Escherichia coli abrogated dimer formation. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed that cardiolipin acts as a bidentate ligand, bridging across subunits. Subsequently, we show that for the Vibrio splendidus sugar transporter SemiSWEET5, another protein with low oligomeric stability, cardiolipin shifts the equilibrium from monomer to functional dimer. We hypothesized that lipids are essential for dimerization of the Na+/H+ antiporter NhaA from E. coli, which has the lowest oligomeric strength, but not for the substantially more stable homologous Thermus thermophilus protein NapA. We found that lipid binding is obligatory for dimerization of NhaA, whereas NapA has adapted to form an interface that is stable without lipids. Overall, by correlating interfacial strength with the presence of interfacial lipids, we provide a rationale for understanding the role of lipids in both transient and stable interactions within a range of α-helical membrane proteins, including G-protein-coupled receptors

A review of current treatment strategies for restless legs syndrome (Willis-Ekbom disease)

Restless legs syndrome (RLS), recently renamed Willis-Ekbom disease (WED), is a common movement disorder. It is characterised by the need to move mainly the legs due to uncomfortable, sometimes painful sensations in the legs, which have a diurnal variation and a release with movement. Management is complex. First, centres should establish the severity of RLS using a simple 10-item RLS severity rating scale (IRLS). They should also exclude secondary causes, in particular ensuring normal iron levels. Mild cases can be managed by lifestyle changes, but patients with a IRLS score above 15 usually require pharmacological treatment. Dopaminergic therapies remain the mainstay of medical therapies, with recent evidence suggesting opioids may be particularly effective. This article focuses on the different treatment strategies in RLS, their associated complications and ways to manage them

Disulfide Bond Assignments by Mass Spectrometry of Native Natural Peptides: Cysteine Pairing in Disulfide Bonded Conotoxins

The critical, and often most difficult, step in structure elucidation of diverse classes of natural peptides is the determination of correct disulfide pairing between multiple cysteine residues. Here, we present a direct mass spectrometric analytical methodology for the determination of disulfide pairing. Protonated peptides, having multiple disulfide bonds, fragmented under collision induced dissociation (CID) conditions and preferentially cleave along the peptide backbone, with occasional disulfide fragmentation either by C-beta-S bond cleavage through H-alpha abstraction to yield dehydroalanine and cysteinepersulfide, or by S-S bond cleavage through H-beta abstraction to yield the thioaldehyde and cysteine. Further fragmentation of the initial set of product ions (MSn) yields third and fourth generation fragment ions, permitting a distinction between the various possible disulfide bonded structures. This approach is illustrated by establishing cysteine pairing patterns in five conotoxins containing two disulfide bonds. The methodology is extended to the Conus araneosus peptides An 446 and Ar1430, two 14 residue sequences containing 3 disulfide bonds. A distinction between 15 possible disulfide pairing schemes becomes possible using direct mass spectral fragmentation of the native peptides together with fragmentation of enzymatically nicked peptides

Mass spectrometric identification of an intramolecular disulfide bond in thermally inactivated triosephosphate isomerase from a thermophilic organism Methanocaldococcus jannaschii

The triosephosphate isomerase from the hyperthermophilic organism Methanocaldococcus jannaschii (MjTIM) is a tetrameric enzyme, with a monomer molecular mass of 23245 Da. The kinetic parameters, the kcat and the Km values, of the enzyme, examined at 25°C and 50°C, are 4.18×104min-1 and 3.26×105min-1, and 0.33 and 0.86mM-1 min-1, respectively. Although the circular dichroism and fluorescence emission spectra of the protein remain unchanged up to 95°C, suggesting that the secondary and tertiary structures are not lost even at this extreme temperature, surprisingly, incubation of this thermophilic enzyme at elevated temperature (65-85°C) results in time-dependent inactivation, with almost complete loss of activity after 3 h at 75°C. High-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) reveals the monomeric mass of the heated sample to be 23243 Da. The 2 Da difference between native and heated samples suggests a probable formation of a disulfide bridge between proximal cysteine thiol groups. Liquid chromatography (LC)/ESI-MS/MS analysis of tryptic digests in the heated samples permits identification of a pentapeptide (DCGCK, residues 80-84) in which a disulfide bond formation between Cys81 and Cys83 was established through the collision-induced dissociation (CID) fragmentation of the intact disulfide-bonded molecule, yielding characteristic fragmentation patterns with key neutral losses. Neither residue is directly involved in the catalytic activity. Inspection of the three-dimensional structure suggests that subtle conformation effects transmitted through a network of hydrogen bonds to the active site residue Lys8 may be responsible for the loss of catalytic activity

The Influence of Theory of Planned Behavior, Technology Acceptance Model, and Information System Success Model on the Acceptance of Electronic Tax Filing System in an Emerging Economy

Adoption studies on electronic tax-filing system using data from emerging nations are rare. The present paper studies the influence of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and user satisfaction on taxpayers’ behavioral intentions to adopt electronic tax filing services in an emerging economy. For this study, constructs from Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985, 1991), Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989), and Information System Success Model (DeLone & McLean, 1992) are used. In order to test the impact of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and user satisfaction on behavioral intentions to adopt online tax filing system, we develop several hypotheses. The data is collected from 201 respondents who filed taxes using government or private vendor websites. A structural equation modelling scheme using PLS is used to analyse the model. The measurement model not only shows structural validity but also demonstrates adequate predictive and explanatory quality. A strong support for a majority of hypotheses is found