Moduli Spaces of Lumps on Real Projective Space

Harmonic maps that minimize the Dirichlet energy in their homotopy classes are known as lumps. Lump solutions on real projective space are explicitly given by rational maps subject to a certain symmetry requirement. This has consequences for the behaviour of lumps and their symmetries. An interesting feature is that the moduli space of charge three lumps is a D2-symmetric 7-dimensional manifold of cohomogeneity one. In this paper, we discuss the charge three moduli spaces of lumps from two perspectives: discrete symmetries of lumps and the Riemann-Hurwitz formula. We then calculate the metric and find explicit formula for various geometric quantities. We also discuss the implications for lump decay

Investigation into the dosage form attributes of currently UK licensed cardiovascular and Parkinson's disease drug products

Globally, there is a continuous rise in the older population (over 65 years), particularly in developed countries. As many diseases are age-related, older adults represent a highly heterogeneous cohort. This presents a major challenge for both the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare professionals. The purpose of this research was to attract attention towards the appropriateness of geriatric formulations by investigating the dosage form attributes of currently UK licensed cardiovascular and Parkinson's disease drug products. Medication available in the UK for cardiovascular disorders and Parkinson's disease were screened and the available formulations, packaging and patient information leaflets of these medicines were analysed, with the goal of raising awareness of the need to cater for elderly patients with increasing difficulty in managing their medication. It emerged that although cardiovascular disorders and Parkinson's disease are more prevalent in older people, many treatment options have not been optimised for this cohort. In particular, older patient centred dosage forms, specific dosing requirements, excipients, patient-friendly packaging and easy-to-follow patient information were highlighted as areas to be considered in order to optimise health outcomes in the ageing population

Novel bioplastic from single cell protein as a potential packaging material

Microbial treatment of biodegradable wastes not only ensures neutralization of harmful substances such as volatile organic compounds but also enables valorization and bio-circularity within the society. Single cell protein (SCP) is a value-added product that can be obtained from biodegradable waste materials such as food waste via microbial fermentation. In this article, SCP derived from potato starch waste was demonstrated as a viable alternative to existing plant/animal proteins used in the production of films, for example, packaging applications. Flexible glycerol-plasticized SCP films were prepared through compression molding, and tensile tests revealed strength and stiffness similar to other plasticized protein films. The oxygen barrier properties were significantly better compared to the common polyethylene packaging material, but as with other highly polar materials, the SCP material must be shielded from moisture if used in, for example, food packaging. The biodegradation test revealed a similar degradation pattern as observed for a household compostable bag. The results showed that SCP-based bioplastic films can be considered as potential alternative to the existing plant/animal protein films and certain synthetic polymers. An important advantage with these protein materials is that they do not cause problems similar to microplastics

Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Polymorphism (rs1801133) and the Risk of Hypertension among African Populations: A Narrative Synthesis of Literature

In this review, we have gathered and analyzed the available genetic evidence on the association between the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR), rs1801133 and the risk of Hypertension (HTN) in African populations, which was further compared to the global data evidence. This review was reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol and Human Genome Epidemiology Network (HuGENet) guidelines. Literature was retrieved through major search databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and African Journal Online. We identified 64 potential studies, of which 4 studies were from the African continent and 60 studies were reported globally. Among the studies conducted in Africa, only two (n = 2) reported a significant association between the MTHFR (rs1801133) and the risk of developing HTN. Only one (n = 1) study population was purely composed of black Africans, while others were of other ethnicities. Among studies conducted in other continents (n = 60), forty seven (n = 47) studies reported a positive association between MTHFR (rs1801133) and the risk of developing HTN, whereas the remaining studies (n = 14) did not show a significant association. Available literature suggests an apparent association between rs1801133 and HTN in global regions; however, such information is still scarce in Africa, especially in the black African population

Structure of a dimeric photosystem II complex from a cyanobacterium acclimated to far-red light

Photosystem II (PSII) is the water-splitting enzyme central to oxygenic photosynthesis. To drive water oxidation, light is harvested by accessory pigments, mostly chlorophyll (Chl) a molecules, which absorb visible light (400–700 nm). Some cyanobacteria facultatively acclimate to shaded environments by altering their photosynthetic machinery to additionally absorb far-red light (FRL, 700–800 nm), a process termed far-red light photoacclimation or FaRLiP. During far-red light photoacclimation, FRL-PSII is assembled with FRL-specific isoforms of the subunits PsbA, PsbB, PsbC, PsbD, and PsbH, and some Chl-binding sites contain Chls d or f instead of the usual Chl a. The structure of an apo-FRL-PSII monomer lacking the FRL-specific PsbH subunit has previously been determined, but visualization of the dimeric complex has remained elusive. Here, we report the cryo-EM structure of a dimeric FRL–PSII complex. The site assignments for Chls d and f are consistent with those assigned in the previous apo-FRL-PSII monomeric structure. All sites that bind Chl d or Chl f at high occupancy exhibit a FRL-specific interaction of the formyl moiety of the Chl d or Chl f with the protein environment, which in some cases involves a phenylalanine sidechain. The structure retains the FRL-specific PsbH2 subunit, which appears to alter the energetic landscape of FRL-PSII, redirecting energy transfer from the phycobiliprotein complex to a Chl f molecule bound by PsbB2 that acts as a bridge for energy transfer to the electron transfer chain. Collectively, these observations extend our previous understanding of the structure-function relationship that allows PSII to function using lower energy FRL

Estimating axon radius using diffusion-relaxation MRI: calibrating a surface-based relaxation model with histology

Axon radius is a potential biomarker for brain diseases and a crucial tissue microstructure parameter that determines the speed of action potentials. Diffusion MRI (dMRI) allows non-invasive estimation of axon radius, but accurately estimating the radius of axons in the human brain is challenging. Most axons in the brain have a radius below one micrometer, which falls below the sensitivity limit of dMRI signals even when using the most advanced human MRI scanners. Therefore, new MRI methods that are sensitive to small axon radii are needed. In this proof-of-concept investigation, we examine whether a surface-based axonal relaxation process could mediate a relationship between intra-axonal T2 and T1 times and inner axon radius, as measured using postmortem histology. A unique in vivo human diffusion-T1-T2 relaxation dataset was acquired on a 3T MRI scanner with ultra-strong diffusion gradients, using a strong diffusion-weighting (i.e., b = 6,000 s/mm2) and multiple inversion and echo times. A second reduced diffusion-T2 dataset was collected at various echo times to evaluate the model further. The intra-axonal relaxation times were estimated by fitting a diffusion-relaxation model to the orientation-averaged spherical mean signals. Our analysis revealed that the proposed surface-based relaxation model effectively explains the relationship between the estimated relaxation times and the histological axon radius measured in various corpus callosum regions. Using these histological values, we developed a novel calibration approach to predict axon radius in other areas of the corpus callosum. Notably, the predicted radii and those determined from histological measurements were in close agreement

Mother’s Characteristics, Knowledge and Practices about Children Burn Injury in Sulaimani City

Burn is described as one of the leading causes of injury throughout the world, and is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization. The aim of this study was to determine mother’s characteristics, Knowledge and practices for burn injuries and burn infection prevention. A cross sectional descriptive study was undertaken in Sulaimani city, Iraq, from October 2015 to July 2016. Participants were evaluated using a structured questionnaire by face-to-face interview. Data were computerized and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22.0 software. A total of 126 mothers who had burn injury in their children and admitted to burning hospital during the study period, the mean score knowledge of mothers was (3.63), the mean score practice of mothers accounted (4.63), the respondent practice score ranged from (1-8). They had poor, intermediate, and good score knowledge about burns injury and burn infection 79.37%, 18.25%, and 2.38% respectively. In regard to mother’s related practice, there were 66.67% within poor practice level, 30.95% of an intermediate level, and 2.38% had a good practice level. The study shows that mother knowledge and practice in Sulaimani city in relation to burn injury and infection among their children was at a low level and the local health authority should incorporate health education for parents, especially mothers in the prevention of pediatric burn at home involving hot liquid and flames also other domestic hazardous as well as the important activities after burn or pre-hospital admission

Cryo-EM structure of a tetrameric photosystem I from Chroococcidiopsis TS-821, a thermophilic, unicellular, non-heterocyst-forming cyanobacterium

Photosystem I (PSI) is one of two photosystems involved in oxygenic photosynthesis. PSI of cyanobacteria exists in monomeric, trimeric, and tetrameric forms, in contrast to the strictly monomeric form of PSI in plants and algae. The tetrameric organization raises questions about its structural, physiological, and evolutionary significance. Here we report the ∼3.72 Å resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure of tetrameric PSI from the thermophilic, unicellular cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis sp. TS-821. The structure resolves 44 subunits and 448 cofactor molecules. We conclude that the tetramer is arranged via two different interfaces resulting from a dimer-of-dimers organization. The localization of chlorophyll molecules permits an excitation energy pathway within and between adjacent monomers. Bioinformatics analysis reveals conserved regions in the PsaL subunit that correlate with the oligomeric state. Tetrameric PSI may function as a key evolutionary step between the trimeric and monomeric forms of PSI organization in photosynthetic organisms

Relax! Diffusion is not the only way to estimate axon radius in vivo

Axon radius is a potential biomarker for brain diseases and a crucial tissue microstructure parameter that determines the speed of action potentials. Diffusion MRI (dMRI) allows non-invasive estimation of axon radius, but accurately estimating the radius of axons in the human brain is challenging. Most axons in the brain have a radius below one micrometre, which falls below the sensitivity limit of dMRI signals even when using the most advanced human MRI scanners. Therefore, new MRI methods that are sensitive to small axon radii are needed. In this proof-of-concept investigation, we examine whether a surface-based axonal relaxation process could mediate a relationship between intra-axonal T2 and T1 times and inner axon radius, as measured using postmortem histology. A unique in vivo human diffusion-T1-T2 relaxation dataset was acquired on a 3T MRI scanner with ultra-strong diffusion gradients, using a strong diffusion-weighting (i.e., b=6000 s/mm2) and multiple inversion and echo times. A second reduced diffusion-T2 dataset was collected at various echo times to evaluate the model further. The intra-axonal relaxation times were estimated by fitting a diffusion-relaxation model to the orientation-averaged spherical mean signals. Our analysis revealed that the proposed surface-based relaxation model effectively explains the relationship between the estimated relaxation times and the histological axon radius measured in various corpus callosum regions. Using these histological values, we developed a novel calibration approach to predict axon radius in other areas of the corpus callosum. Notably, the predicted radii and those determined from histological measurements were in close agreement.Comment: 48 pages, 10 figure