Statistical Mechanics of DNA Rupture: Theory and Simulations

We study the effects of the shear force on the rupture mechanism on a double stranded DNA. Motivated by recent experiments, we perform the atomistic simulations with explicit solvent to obtain the distributions of extension in hydrogen and covalent bonds below the rupture force. We obtain a significant difference between the atomistic simulations and the existing results in the iterature based on the coarse-grained models (theory and simulations). We discuss the possible reasons and improve the coarse-grained model by incorporating the consequences of semi-microscopic details of the nucleotides in its description. The distributions obtained by the modified model (simulations and theoretical) are qualitatively similar to the one obtained using atomistic simulations.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures. Accepted in J. Chem. Phys. (2013). arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1104.305

New forms of BRST symmetry in rigid rotor

We derive the different forms of BRST symmetry by using the Batalin-Fradkin-Vilkovisky formalism in a rigid rotor. The so called "dual-BRST" symmetry is obtained from usual BRST symmetry by making a canonical transformation in the ghost sector. On the other hand, a canonical transformation in the sector involving Lagrange multiplier and its corresponding momentum leads to a new form of BRST as well as dual-BRST symmetry.Comment: 10 Pages, revtex, No Fig

Humoral and cytokine response elicited during immunisation with recombinant Immune Mapped protein-1 (EtIMP-1) and oocysts of Eimeria tenella

Eimeria tenella, the causative agent of caecal coccidiosis, is a pathogenic gut dwelling protozoan which can cause severe morbidity and mortality in farmed chickens. Immune mapped protein-1 (IMP-1) has been identified as an anticoccidial vaccine candidate; in the present study allelic polymorphism was assessed across the IMP-1 coding sequence in E. tenella isolates from four countries and compared with the UK reference Houghton strain. Nucleotide diversity was low, limited to expansion/contraction of a CAG triplet repeat and five substitutions, three of which were non-synonymous. The EtIMP-1 coding sequence from a cloned Indian E. tenella isolate was expressed in E. coli and purified as a His-tagged thioredoxin fusion protein. An in-vivo vaccination and challenge trial was conducted to test the vaccine potential of recombinant EtIMP-1 (rEtIMP-1) and to compare post-vaccination immune responses of chickens to those stimulated by live oocyst infection. Following challenge, parasite replication measured using quantitative PCR was significantly reduced in chickens that had been vaccinated with rEtIMP-1 (rIC group; 67% reduction compared to UC or unimmunised controls; 79% reduction compared to rTC group or recombinant thioredoxin mock-immunised controls, p < 0.05), or the birds vaccinated by infection with oocysts (OC group, 90% compared to unimmunised controls). Chickens vaccinated with oocysts (OC) had significantly higher levels of interferon gamma in their serum post-challenge, compared to rEtIMP-1 vaccinated birds (rIC). Conversely rEtIMP-1 (rIC) vaccinated birds had significantly higher antigen specific serum IgY responses, correlating with higher serum IL-4 (both p < 0.05)

Exchange bias in Co-Cr2O3 nanocomposites

The possibility of using exchange bias in ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic system to over come the effect of superparamagnetism in small cobalt nanoparticles is explored. We have prepared Co-Cr2O3 nanocomposite powders using a chemical method. It is shown that in this system the effect of superparamagnetism in cobalt nanoparticles could be overcome. The superparamagnetic blocking temperature of 3 nm cobalt particles has been increased to above room temperature. The choice of Cr2O3 is vital as its TN is higher compared to other antiferromagnetic materials used for this purpose such as CoO. The field cooled and zero field cooled hysteresis measurements of the samples confirm the existence of exchange bias interaction in this system.Comment: 17 pages including 4 figures and 1 tabl

Diagnostic Dilemma with Interval Death in a Road-Traffic Accident Victim

Background: The cause of death is difficult to interpret in a road-traffic accident (RTA) victim, because multiple injuries make it difficult to decide on the most fatal lesion, particularly when death is delayed by prompt medical intervention; and secondary haemorrhage, renal failure, fat embolism, systemic infections, myocardial or cerebral infarction – all comes under the potential differential threats.Case Report: A 20 year-old RTA victim was hospitalized in a comatose state and died after surviving 21 days on intermittent positive pressure ventilation. Post-mortem examination of different organs revealed pneumonic consolidation in lung, fatty changes in liver and acute tubular necrosis in kidney; in addition to haemorrhage and congestion in these organs and brain.Conclusion: Acute contusions of various internal organs, compounded by hospital-acquired infection and medical interventions turn the overall diagnostic scenario messy in a resuscitated RTA victim. In such condition notification about all lethal organic defects, instead of mentioning mere ‘multiorgan failure’, is the best way to sign out an ‘autopsy report.

Knot-Quiver correspondence for double twist knots

We obtain a quiver representation for a family of knots called double twist knots $K(p,-m)$. Particularly, we exploit the reverse engineering of Melvin-Morton-Rozansky(MMR) formalism to deduce the pattern of the charge matrix for these quivers.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figures, published versio