Investigations of heme distortion, low-frequency vibrational excitations, and electron transfer in cytochrome c

Cytochrome (cyt) c is an important electron transfer protein. The ruffling deformation of its heme cofactor has been suggested to relate to its electron transfer rate. However, there is no direct experimental evidence demonstrating this correlation. In this work, we studied Pseudomonas aeruginosa cytochrome c551 and its F7A mutant. These two proteins, although similar in their X-ray crystal structure, display a significant difference in their heme outof- plane deformations, mainly along the ruffling coordinate. Resonance Raman and vibrational coherence measurements also indicate significant differences in ruffling-sensitive modes, particularly the low-frequency γa mode found between ~50-60 cm-1. This supports previous assignments of γa as having a large ruffling content. Measurement of the photoreduction kinetics finds an order of magnitude decrease of the photoreduction cross-section in the F7A mutant, which has nearly twice the ruffling deformation as the WT. Additional measurements on cytochrome c demonstrate that heme ruffling is correlated exponentially with the electron transfer rates and suggest that ruffling could play an important role in redox control. A major relaxation of heme ruffling in cytochrome c, upon binding to the mitochondrial membrane, is discussed in this context

Uncertainty in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air quality in Hong Kong, China

Strict social distancing rules are being implemented to stop the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in many cities globally, causing a sudden and extreme change in the transport activities. This offers a unique opportunity to assess the effect of anthropogenic activities on air quality and provides a valuable reference to the policymakers in developing air quality control measures and projecting their effectiveness. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on the roadside and ambient air quality in Hong Kong, China, by comparing the air quality monitoring data collected in January-April 2020 with those in 2017-2019. The results showed that the roadside and ambient NO2, PM10, PM2.5, CO and SO2 were generally reduced in 2020 when comparing with the historical data in 2017-2019, while O3 was increased. However, the reductions during COVID-19 period (i.e., February-April) were not always higher than that during pre-COVID-19 period (i.e., January). In addition, there were large seasonal variations in the monthly mean pollutant concentrations in every year. This study implies that one air pollution control measure may not generate obvious immediate improvements in the air quality monitoring data and its effectiveness should be evaluated carefully to eliminate the effect of seasonal variations

Synthetic, non-intoxicating 8,9-dihydrocannabidiol for the mitigation of seizures

There can be a fine line between therapeutic intervention and substance abuse, and this point is clearly exemplified in herbal cannabis and its products. Therapies involving cannabis have been the treatment of last resort for some cases of refractory epilepsy, and this has been among the strongest medical justifications for legalization of marijuana. In order to circumvent the narcotic effects of 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), many studies have concentrated on its less intoxicating isomer cannabidiol (CBD). However, CBD, like all natural cannabinoids, is a controlled substance in most countries, and its conversion into THC can be easily performed using common chemicals. We describe here the anticonvulsant properties of 8,9-dihydrocannibidiol (H2CBD), a fully synthetic analogue of CBD that is prepared from inexpensive, non-cannabis derived precursors. H2CBD was found to have effectiveness comparable to CBD both for decreasing the number and reducing the severity of pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures in rats. Finally, H2CBD cannot be converted by any reasonable synthetic route into THC, and thus has the potential to act as a safe, noncontroversial drug for seizure mitigation

Hypermatrix factors for string and membrane junctions

The adjoint representations of the Lie algebras of the classical groups SU(n), SO(n), and Sp(n) are, respectively, tensor, antisymmetric, and symmetric products of two vector spaces, and hence are matrix representations. We consider the analogous products of three vector spaces and study when they appear as summands in Lie algebra decompositions. The Z3-grading of the exceptional Lie algebras provide such summands and provides representations of classical groups on hypermatrices. The main natural application is a formal study of three-junctions of strings and membranes. Generalizations are also considered.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures, presentation improved, minor correction

County-Level Trends and Potential Disparities in the Suicide Rates in Virginia, 2020 – 2022

Abstract Objectives This study aims to investigate the influence of social determinants of health (SDH) on suicide patterns in the state of Virginia. Methods A secondary statistical analysis was conducted using publicly accessible data from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps database for Virginia. Data from 2020 to 2022 were analyzed, focusing on age-adjusted suicide rates and SDH factors, including % rural, mental health provider rate, median household income, high school completion, and unemployment rates. Multiple regression analysis and visualizations were employed for data interpretation. Results The analysis revealed that SDH factors significantly predicted suicide rates across the study period. Median household income consistently emerged as a strong predictor of suicide in 2021 and 2022, indicating a decrease in suicide risk with higher income levels. High-risk areas, especially in rural and suburban counties, were noticed, with Southern counties having a slightly higher burden of suicide rates. Conclusion This study shows that SDH impacts suicide rates in Virginia, and there is a need for tailored interventions for high-risk areas. Economic stability and location matter. Addressing SDH, enhancing mental health access, and promoting community well-being is vital in suicide prevention. Keywords: Suicide, social determinants of health, rural-urban divide, racial disparities, mental health, public health, risk factors, Virginia, United States, age-adjusted suicide rates, poverty, median household incom

Zwicky Transient Facility constraints on the optical emission from the nearby repeating FRB 180916.J0158+65

The discovery rate of fast radio bursts (FRBs) is increasing dramatically thanks to new radio facilities. Meanwhile, wide-field instruments such as the 47 deg$^2$ Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) survey the optical sky to study transient and variable sources. We present serendipitous ZTF observations of the CHIME repeating source FRB 180916.J0158+65, that was localized to a spiral galaxy 149 Mpc away and is the first FRB suggesting periodic modulation in its activity. While 147 ZTF exposures corresponded to expected high-activity periods of this FRB, no single ZTF exposure was at the same time as a CHIME detection. No $>3\sigma$ optical source was found at the FRB location in 683 ZTF exposures, totalling 5.69 hours of integration time. We combined ZTF upper limits and expected repetitions from FRB 180916.J0158+65 in a statistical framework using a Weibull distribution, agnostic of periodic modulation priors. The analysis yielded a constraint on the ratio between the optical and radio fluences of $\eta \lesssim 200$, corresponding to an optical energy $E_{\rm opt} \lesssim 3 \times 10^{46}$ erg for a fiducial 10 Jy ms FRB (90% confidence). A deeper (but less statistically robust) constraint of $\eta \lesssim 3$ can be placed assuming a rate of $r(>5$ Jy ms)= hr$^{-1}$ and $1.2\pm 1.1$ FRB occurring during exposures taken in high-activity windows. The constraint can be improved with shorter per-image exposures and longer integration time, or observing FRBs at higher Galactic latitudes. This work demonstrated how current surveys can statistically constrain multi-wavelength counterparts to FRBs even without deliberately scheduled simultaneous radio observation.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL, 9 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl

Peningkatan Kapasitas Kurikulum 2013 Pendidikan Usia Dini pada Guru dan Pengelola PAUD Al Birru Nasyiatul Aisyiyah

Early Childhood Education (PAUD) is an embryo of children's education in shaping a generation of people who are superior and dignified. Education provided to children aged 0-6 years primarily introduces physical activity to stimulate the child's motoric development, affection and introduce the process of socializing to children. Considering the importance of PAUD, the curriculum 2013 PAUD has now been developed, where previously there was no specific curriculum that could be used in the learning process in PAUD. Applying the curriculum 2013, the teachers still did not have enough capacity to be able to translate the concepts of the curriculum into the learning process. Therefore, training was carried out in an effort to increase capacity in the application of the Curriculum 2013 PAUD. The analytical method used is descriptive analysis and inference. The result of this activity is that there is a change in knowledge about the 2013 PAUD curriculum for the training participants. Participants give evaluators on the implementation of training in general is good. Outcome of this training the participants are required to disseminate the curriculum 2013 PAUD materia

An economic evaluation of a primary care-based technology-enabled intervention for stroke secondary prevention and management in rural China : a study protocol

Introduction: Secondary prevention of stroke is a leading challenge globally and only a few strategies have been tested to be effective in supporting stroke survivors. The system-integrated and technology-enabled model of care (SINEMA) intervention, a primary care-based and technology-enabled model of care, has been proven effective in strengthening the secondary prevention of stroke in rural China. The aim of this protocol is to outline the methods for the cost-effectiveness evaluation of the SINEMA intervention to better understand its potential economic benefits. Methods: The economic evaluation will be a nested study based on the SINEMA trial; a cluster-randomized controlled trial implemented in 50 villages in rural China. The effectiveness of the intervention will be estimated using quality-adjusted life years for the cost-utility analysis and reduction in systolic blood pressure for the cost-effectiveness analysis. Health resource and service use and program costs will be identified, measured, and valued at the individual level based on medication use, hospital visits, and inpatients' records. The economic evaluation will be conducted from the perspective of the healthcare system. Conclusion: The economic evaluation will be used to establish the value of the SINEMA intervention in the Chinese rural setting, which has great potential to be adapted and implemented in other resource-limited settings