Isoxazole linked oligonucleotide conjugates by on resin and previously clicked nitrile oxide alkyne cycloadditions

Bioconjugation protocols in environments free from residual copper or other catalytic components are important for therapeutic and biomedical applications as well as in living systems. In this communication we discuss the versatility of the catalyst free, isoxazole generating nitrile oxide alkyne Huisgen cycloaddition for provision of chemically modified oligonucleotide conjugates. Two distinct approaches will be demonstrated. In the first we discuss on resin cylcoaddition between in situ generated nitrile oxide

Optimal Integration of the Renewable Energy to the Grid by Considering Small Signal Stability Constraint

In recent decades, one of the main management’s concerns of professional engineers is the optimal integration of various types of renewable energy to the grid. This paper discusses the optimal allocation of one type of renewable energy i.e. wind turbine to the grid for enhancing network’s performance. A multi-objective function is used as indexes of the system’s performance, such as increasing system loadability and minimizing the loss of real power transmission line by considering security and stability of systems’ constraints viz.: voltage and line margins, and eigenvalues as well which is representing as small signal stability. To solve the optimization problems, a new method has been developed using a novel variant of the Genetic Algorithm (GA), specifically known as Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II). Whereas the Fuzzy-based mechanism is used to support the decision makers prefer the best compromise solution from the Pareto front. The effectiveness of the developed method has been established on a modified IEEE 14-bus system with wind turbine system, and their simulation results showed that the dynamic performance of the power system can be effectively improved by considering the stability and security of the system

Orbital apex cyst: a rare cause of compressive optic neuropathy post-functional endoscopic sinus surgery

There are various causes that can lead to compressive optic neuropathy. We present here orbital apex cyst as an unusual cause of compressive optic neuropathy in a 49-year-old male. He presented with 2 weeks painless loss of vision in the left eye with left-sided headache. He had had left functional endoscopic sinus surgery for left nasal polyps 4 years earlier. Magnetic resonance imaging of brain and orbit revealed a left discrete orbital nodule, possibly orbital cyst or mucocele, which was compressing on the left optic nerve. Left eye vision improved markedly from hand movement to 6/36 pinhole 6/18 after initiation of intravenous dexamethasone. A subsequent endoscopic endonasal left optic nerve decompression found the orbital nodule lesion to be an orbital cyst. Marsupialization was performed instead of excision, as the cyst ruptured intraoperatively. Postoperative vision improved to 6/7.5 with normal optic nerve function postoperatively. Possible cause of orbital apex cyst is discussed

Single Crystal Growth and Characterization of the Iron-Based Superconductor KFe2As2 Synthesized by KAs Flux Method

Centimeter sized platelet single crystals of KFe2As2 were grown using a self-flux method. An encapsulation technique using commercial stainless steel container allowed the stable crystal growth lasting for more than 2 weeks. Ternary K-Fe-As systems with various starting compositions were examined to determine the optimal growth conditions. Employment of KAs flux led to the growth of large single crystals with the typical size of as large as 15 mm x 10 mm x 0.4 mm. The grown crystals exhibit sharp superconducting transition at 3.4 K with the transition width 0.2 K, as well as the very large residual resistivity ratio exceeding 450, evidencing the good sample quality.Comment: 4 pages, 6 Postscript figure

Systematic study of heavy cluster emission from {210-226}^Ra isotopes

The half lives for various clusters lying in the cold reaction valleys of {210-226}^Ra isotopes are computed using our Coulomb and proximity potential model (CPPM). The computed half lives of 4^He and 14^C clusters from {210-226}^Ra isotopes are in good agreement with experimental data. Half lives are also computed using the Universal formula for cluster decay (UNIV) of Poenaru et al., and are found to be in agreement with CPPM values. Our study reveals the role of doubly magic 208^Pb daughter in cluster decay process. Geiger - Nuttall plots for all clusters up to 62^Fe are studied and are found to be linear with different slopes and intercepts. {12,14}^C emission from 220^Ra; 14^C emission from {222,224}^Ra; 14^C and 20^O emission from 226^Ra are found to be most favourable for measurement and this observation will serve as a guide to the future experiments.Comment: 22 pages, 6 figures; Nuclear Physics A (2012

Bio-sorption Activated Media for Nitrogen Removal In a Rapid Infiltration Basin – Monitoring Project

The Bent Oak City of DeLand pond (see Appendix A for the Environmental Resource Permit #76187-5) was increased in size and permitted in March of 2016 so that it could function to discharge both excess reclaimed water and excess stormwater to the ground. It was called in the permit a reclaimed water storage and recovery modification. Because of the discharge of treated sewage, it can be referred to as a rapid infiltration basin (RIB). However, it is used for the disposal of both reclaimed water and excess stormwater. The RIB was again modified in the fall of 2016 for additional removal of nitrogen and phosphorus using Bio-sorption Activated Media (BAM) to determine if additional nitrogen can be removed. The information in this report is used to evaluate the effectiveness in the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus and to supply technical data to support the removal when BAM is used. Two areas within the northern part of the Deland RIB were divided into two RIBs so that one RIB had two feet of BAM added to the bottom and the other RIB did not have BAM and is called the Control RIB. The Control RIB soils had about 2% clay with sand. This type of soil is believed to remove nitrogen and phosphorus, as opposed to sand which produces minor removal. Thus, it was chosen to be compared to BAM. Both the BAM RIB and the Control RIB were dosed with the same water. For two months at the end of 2016, input flow volume monitoring was conducted to balance unit volume of input flow (gallons per acre per day) to the two RIBs. Lysimeters were installed two feet under the BAM in the BAM RIB as well as two feet under the Control RIB. From January 2017 through the end of August 2017 loading was done using reclaimed water; some of which included river water augmentation. In September, Hurricane Irma provided excess stormwater to load the RIBS. Thus, two loading events and water samples from the six lysimeters were obtained to document water quality conditions during this time. In January and February 2018, loading of the RIBS continued with reclaimed water and this time in a high-water table condition. The high-water table was caused by the rain from Hurricane Irma. Thus, a total of 12 loading events of the RIBS were completed. Ten (10) events were monitored using reclaimed water from the DeLand Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) and two (2) events using excess stormwater from Hurricane Irma. City of DeLand and University of Central Florida Bio-sorption Activated Media in DeLand RIB 2. The results show increased removal of nitrogen and phosphorus when using BAM versus the removal using on-site Taveras soil. The on-site soil is expected to remove nitrogen because of a low infiltration rate (½ - 1 inch/hr.) and the high clay composition. Natural soils normally are not consistent in clay content and thus removal is not consistent across an area. It should be noted that normally the soils beneath a RIB are primarily sand and thus little removal of nitrogen is expected. The BAM is mixed to provide consistency in the percentage of constituents. Thus, removal across an area for nitrate and nitrite species (NOx) should be relatively more consistent than in natural soils and greater using BAM. The BAM was not formulated to remove organic and ammonia species of nitrogen but can be if needed. The history of reclaimed water quality for the Deland Water Reclamation Facility showed a high percentage of nitrates relative to total nitrogen. For this report, the term nitrate will be used as most of the reported NOx is in the form of nitrates. This also recognizes that nitrite rapidly go to nitrate in surface and surficial aquifers. Comparisons based on measurements below detection and average removal are summarized as: Loading with Reclaimed Water: Ten loading events were sampled. There was a total of 30 lysimeter samples under the BAM RIB and 29 under the Control RIB. There was one lysimeter in the Control RIB that did not yield sufficient volume of water for analysis. For nitrate measures less than detection, the percent removal was calculated based on half the detection limit. Loading with Excess Stormwater: There were 6 lysimeter samples per RIB. The detection limit for nitrates was lowered resulting in no exceedance. Using both the excess reclaimed and excess stormwater loading, and weighting the removals by the number of samples, the removal of nitrate was 85% in the BAM RIB and 49% in the Control RIB. City of DeLand and University of Central Florida Bio-sorption Activated Media in DeLand RIB 3. Total phosphorus removal was also calculated when loading with reclaimed as 66% and 37% for the BAM RIB and the Control RIB respectively. Other water quality measures are also listed in the report and include pH, turbidity, conductivity, chlorides, fecal coliforms, TKN, and total nitrogen. For fecal coliforms, there were 36 measurements for each of the Control and BAM lysimeters for all loading water and includes the blended river, reclaimed and stormwater. There were five measured values that were too numerous to count in the Control and none in the BAM lysimeters. The average fecal coliforms were 31 and 609 CFU/100 ml in the BAM and Control lysimeters respectively. The nitrate removal was further supported using microbial assessment using DNA technologies. The populations of microbiological organisms demonstrated that the BAM RIB provided an environment for the cultivation of more of the appropriate bacteria compared to the Control RIB. The Control RIB itself provided potential for removal, presumably because of the 2-4% clay content, but the organisms were not as great in number and the removal was less. The micro biological analysis yielded information regarding the use of 2 feet of media as an appropriate depth and location for which the greater population were established. Further, the quantity of bacteria population can be closely related to the increased microbiological activity and consequently improved nitrate removal. The physiochemical properties of the BAM and Control RIB soil, also affected nitrate removal through the encouragement or inhibition of microbial growth aiding or preventing the removal of nitrate by the bacteria

The dietary bioflavonoid quercetin synergizes with epigallocathechin gallate (EGCG) to inhibit prostate cancer stem cell characteristics, invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Abstract Background Much attention has been recently focused on the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in the initiation and progression of solid malignancies. Since CSCs are able to proliferate and self-renew extensively due to their ability to express anti-apoptotic and drug resistant proteins, thus sustaining tumor growth. Therefore, the strategy to eradicate CSCs might have significant clinical implications. The objectives of this study were to examine the molecular mechanisms by which epigallocathechin gallate (EGCG) inhibits stem cell characteristics of prostate CSCs, and synergizes with quercetin, a major polyphenol and flavonoid commonly detected in many fruits and vegetables. Results Our data indicate that human prostate cancer cell lines contain a small population of CD44+CD133+ cancer stem cells and their self-renewal capacity is inhibited by EGCG. Furthermore, EGCG inhibits the self-renewal capacity of CD44+α2β1+CD133+ CSCs isolated from human primary prostate tumors, as measured by spheroid formation in suspension. EGCG induces apoptosis by activating capase-3/7 and inhibiting the expression of Bcl-2, survivin and XIAP in CSCs. Furthermore, EGCG inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting the expression of vimentin, slug, snail and nuclear β-catenin, and the activity of LEF-1/TCF responsive reporter, and also retards CSC's migration and invasion, suggesting the blockade of signaling involved in early metastasis. Interestingly, quercetin synergizes with EGCG in inhibiting the self-renewal properties of prostate CSCs, inducing apoptosis, and blocking CSC's migration and invasion. These data suggest that EGCG either alone or in combination with quercetin can eliminate cancer stem cell-characteristics. Conclusion Since carcinogenesis is a complex process, combination of bioactive dietary agents with complementary activities will be beneficial for prostate cancer prevention and/ortreatment.Peer Reviewe

Pengaruh Pembangunan Penerapan Nilai dalam Pendidikan Abad Ke 21 Terhadap Pembentukan Sahsiah Murid Sekolah Kurang Murid (SKM) Luar Bandar di Sabah

Kajian ini dijalankan bagi mengkaji pengaruh pembangunan penerapan nilai dalam pendidikan abad ke-21 terhadap pembentukan sahsiah murid Sekolah Kurang Murid (SKM) luar bandar di Sabah. Selain itu, kajian ini mengkaji perbezaan skor min pembangunan penerapan nilai dalam pendidikan abad ke-21 dan pembentukan sahsiah murid Sekolah Kurang Murid (SKM) luar bandar di Sabah. Kajian ini menggunakan reka bentuk bukan eksperimen dan kaedah kuantitatif. Seramai 209 orang guru SKM telah dipilih untuk dijadikan sampel dalam kajian ini. Sampel ini ditentukan dengan menggunakan kaedah pensamplean rawak mudah. Instrumen soal selidik pula telah digunakan untuk memperoleh maklumat daripada sampel kajian. Data mentah yang diperoleh daripada sampel kajian dianalisis menggunakan perisian Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) dengan menggunakan analisis statistik inferensi yang melibatkan analisis Regresi Linear. Hasil analisis menunjukkan terdapat pengaruh signifikan yang positif dan kuat antara pembangunan penerapan nilai dalam pendidikan abad ke-21 terhadap pembentukan sahsiah murid Sekolah Kurang Murid (SKM) luar bandar di Sabah (Beta=0.88, t=27.65).  Hasil kajian ini diharap dapat memberikan input bermanfaat kepada pelbagai pihak khususnya Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia dalam usaha meningkatkan kemampuan sekolah untuk melahirkan murid yang bersahsiah dan mampu memberi sumbangan kepada pembangunan negara

Hubungan antara Pembangunan Penerapan Nilai dalam Pendidikan Abad Ke-21 dengan Pembentukan Sahsiah Murid Sekolah Kurang Murid (SKM) Luar Bandar di Sabah

Penerapan nilai dalam pendidikan abad ke-21 amat penting bagi membentuk sahsiah murid yang mapan dalam pelbagai aspek seperti yang digariskan dalam Falsafah pendidikan Kebangsaan (FPK). Kajian korelasi ini dijalankan bagi mengkaji hubungan pembangunan penerapan nilai dalam pendidikan abad ke-21 dengan pembentukan sahsiah murid Sekolah Kurang Murid (SKM) luar bandar di Sabah. Kajian ini menggunakan reka bentuk bukan eksperimen dan kaedah kuantitatif. Seramai 209 orang guru SKM dijadikan sampel dalam kajian ini yang dipilih menggunakan kaedah pensamplean rawak mudah. Instrumen soal selidik pula digunakan bagi mengukur variabel-variabel kajian. Data mentah dianalisis menggunakan perisian Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) dengan menggunakan analisis statistik inferensi yang melibatkan ujian Korelasi Pearson. Hasil analisis menunjukkan terdapat hubungan positif signifikan yang kuat antara pembangunan penerapan nilai dalam pendidikan abad ke-21 dengan pembentukan sahsiah murid Sekolah Kurang Murid (SKM) luar bandar di Sabah (r=0.88, P<0.05). Dapatan kajian ini memberi maklumat berguna berkaitan dengan penerapan nilai dalam pendidikan abad ke-21 dan pembentukan sahsiah murid yang diharap dapat memberikan sumbangan ke arah memperkasakan sistem pendidikan kebangsaan

The layered iron arsenides Sr2CrO3FeAs and Ba2ScO3FeAs

Polycrystalline samples of the layered iron arsenides Sr2CrO3FeAs and Ba2ScO3FeAs were synthesized by high temperature solid state reactions and their crystal structures determined by the X-ray powder diffraction. Their structures are tetragonal (P4/nmm; Sr2CrO3FeAs: a = 391.12(1) pm, c = 1579.05(3) pm; Ba2ScO3FeAs: a = 412.66(5) pm, c = 1680.0(2) pm, Z = 2) and isotypic to Sr2ScO3CuS. Iron arsenide layers are sandwiched between perowskite-like oxide blocks and separated by ~1600 pm, which is much larger compared to the 1111 iron arsenide superconductors. The bond length and angles within the FeAs layers are adapted to the space requirements of the oxide blocks. Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity show no hint for a SDW-like anomaly in both compounds. Sr2CrO3FeAs shows Curie-Weiss paramagnetism above 160 K with an effective magnetic moment of 3.83(3) muB in good agreement with the theoretical value of 3.87 muB for Cr3+. Antiferromagnetic ordering was detected below TN ~ 31 K. 57Fe Moessbauer spectra of Sr2CrO3FeAs show a single signal that broadens below the magnetic ordering temperature due to a small transferred hyperfine field induced by the magnetic ordering of the chromium atoms. 57Fe-Moessbauer spectra of Ba2ScO3FeAs show single signals at 298, 77, and 4.2 K which are only subject to weak quadrupole splitting.Comment: substantial addititions and corrections, references updated 19 pages, 7 figure