133 research outputs found
Association of ABO blood groups with Chikungunya virus
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) an emerging arboviral infection of public health concern belongs to the genus Alphavirus, family Togaviridae. Blood group antigens are generally known to act as receptors for various etiological agents. The studies defining the relationship between blood groups and CHIKV is limited and hence it is necessary to study these parameters in detail. In the present study 1500 subjects were enrolled and demographic data (Age, Gender, Blood group, CHIKV infection status, and CHIKV infection confirmation mode) was collected from them. The risk of acquiring CHIKV disease and its association with factors such as blood group, age and gender was analyzed statistically. The data of this study showed a possible association between blood group, age and gender of the study population with CHIKV infection. It is observed that CHIKV infections were higher in individuals with Rh positive blood group when compared to their Rh negative counterparts.CHIKV infections were found to be higher in Rh positive individuals of AB and A blood groups than that of Rh negative counterparts. Results also indicated that infections were higher in adults belonging to the age group > 30 years and also higher in males as compared to females enrolled in this study. These data present further evidence for the association of the blood groups, age and gender to susceptibility to CHIKV infection. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings. This is the second study showing the possible association of blood groups with chikungunya
Improved prediction of severe thunderstorms over the Indian Monsoon region using high-resolution soil moisture and temperature initialization
The hypothesis that realistic land conditions such as soil moisture/soil temperature (SM/ST) can significantly improve the modeling of mesoscale deep convection is tested over the Indian monsoon region (IMR). A high resolution (3 km foot print) SM/ST dataset prepared from a land data assimilation system, as part of a national monsoon mission project, showed close agreement with observations. Experiments are conducted with (LDAS) and without (CNTL) initialization of SM/ST dataset. Results highlight the significance of realistic land surface conditions on numerical prediction of initiation, movement and timing of severe thunderstorms as compared to that currently being initialized by climatological fields in CNTL run. Realistic land conditions improved mass flux, convective updrafts and diabatic heating in the boundary layer that contributed to low level positive potential vorticity. The LDAS run reproduced reflectivity echoes and associated rainfall bands more efficiently. Improper representation of surface conditions in CNTL run limit the evolution boundary layer processes and thereby failed to simulate convection at right time and place. These findings thus provide strong support to the role land conditions play in impacting the deep convection over the IMR. These findings also have direct implications for improving heavy rain forecasting over the IMR, by developing realistic land conditions
On plastic deformation and fracture in Si films during electrochemical lithiation/delithiation cycling
An in situ study of deformation, fracture, and fatigue behavior of silicon as
a lithium-ion battery electrode material is presented. Thin films (100-200 nm)
of silicon are cycled in a half-cell configuration with lithium metal foil as
counter/reference electrode, with 1M lithium hexafluorophosphate in ethylene
carbonate, diethylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate solution (1:1:1, wt.%) as
electrolyte. Stress evolution in the Si thin-film electrodes during
electrochemical lithiation and delithiation is measured by monitoring the
substrate curvature using the multi-beam optical sensing method. The stress
measurements have been corrected for contributions from residual stress arising
from sputter-deposition. An indirect method for estimating the potential errors
due to formation of the solid-electrolyte-interphase layer and surface charge
on the stress measurements was presented. The films undergo extensive inelastic
deformation during lithiation and delithiation. The peak compressive stress
during lithiation was 1.48 GPa. The stress data along with the electron
microscopy observations are used to estimate an upper bound fracture resistance
of lithiated Si, which is approximately 9-11 J/m^2. Fracture initiation and
crack density evolution as a function of cycle number is also reported.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figure
Quantifying Capacity Loss due to Solid-Electrolyte-Interphase Layer Formation on Silicon Negative Electrodes in Lithium-ion Batteries
Charge lost per unit surface area of a silicon electrode due to the formation
of solid-electrolyte-interphase (SEI) layer during initial lithiation was
quantified, and the species that constitute this layer were identified. Coin
cells made with Si thin-film electrodes were subjected to a combination of
galvanostatic and potentiostatic lithiation and delithiation cycles to
accurately measure the capacity lost to SEI-layer formation. While the planar
geometry of amorphous thin films allows accurate calculation of surface area,
creation of additional surface by cracking was prevented by minimizing the
thickness of the Si film. The cycled electrodes were analyzed with X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy to characterize the composition of the SEI layer.
The charge lost due to SEI formation measured from coin cell experiments was
found to be in good agreement with the first-cycle capacity loss during the
initial lithiation of a Si (100) crystal with planar geometry. The methodology
presented in this work is expected to provide a useful practical tool for
battery-material developers in estimating the expected capacity loss due to
first cycle SEI-layer formation and in choosing an appropriate particle size
distribution that balances mechanical integrity and the first cycle capacity
loss in large volume expansion electrodes for lithium-ion batteries.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures; Journal of Power Sources, 201
Combination of vatalanib and a 20-HETE synthesis inhibitor results in decreased tumor growth in an animal model of human glioma
BACKGROUND: Due to the hypervascular nature of glioblastoma (GBM), antiangiogenic treatments, such as vatalanib, have been added as an adjuvant to control angiogenesis and tumor growth. However, evidence of progressive tumor growth and resistance to antiangiogenic treatment has been observed. To counter the unwanted effect of vatalanib on GBM growth, we have added a new agent known as N-hydroxy-N\u27-(4-butyl-2 methylphenyl)formamidine (HET0016), which is a selective inhibitor of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) synthesis. The aims of the studies were to determine 1) whether the addition of HET0016 can attenuate the unwanted effect of vatalanib on tumor growth and 2) whether the treatment schedule would have a crucial impact on controlling GBM.
METHODS: U251 human glioma cells (4×10(5)) were implanted orthotopically. Two different treatment schedules were investigated. Treatment starting on day 8 (8-21 days treatment) of the tumor implantation was to mimic treatment following detection of tumor, where tumor would have hypoxic microenvironment and well-developed neovascularization. Drug treatment starting on the same day of tumor implantation (0-21 days treatment) was to mimic cases following radiation therapy or surgery. There were four different treatment groups: vehicle, vatalanib (oral treatment 50 mg/kg/d), HET0016 (intraperitoneal treatment 10 mg/kg/d), and combined (vatalanib and HET0016). Following scheduled treatments, all animals underwent magnetic resonance imaging on day 22, followed by euthanasia. Brain specimens were equally divided for immunohistochemistry and protein array analysis.
RESULTS: Our results demonstrated a trend that HET0016, alone or in combination with vatalanib, is capable of controlling the tumor growth compared with that of vatalanib alone, indicating attenuation of the unwanted effect of vatalanib. When both vatalanib and HET0016 were administered together on the day of the tumor implantation (0-21 days treatment), tumor volume, tumor blood volume, permeability, extravascular and extracellular space volume, tumor cell proliferation, and cell migration were decreased compared with that of the vehicle-treated group.
CONCLUSION: HET0016 is capable of controlling tumor growth and migration, but these effects are dependent on the timing of drug administration. The addition of HET0016 to vatalanib may attenuate the unwanted effect of vatalanib
Self-reported discrimination and mental health among Asian Indians: Cultural beliefs and coping style as moderators.
The South Asian (SA) population has been underrepresented in research linking discrimination with health indicators; studies that focus on the unique cultural and psychosocial experiences of different SA subgroups are needed. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between self-reported discrimination and mental health among Asian Indians (AIs), and whether traditional cultural beliefs (believing that South Asian cultural traditions should be practiced in the US), coping style, and social support moderated these relationships. Asian Indians (N = 733) had been recruited from community-based sampling frames for the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study were included in this analysis. Multiple linear regression analyses were employed to evaluate relationships between discrimination and depressive symptoms, anger, and anxiety. Participants (men = 54%) were on average 55 years of age and had high levels of English proficiency, education, and income. Higher reports of discrimination were significantly associated with higher depressive symptoms, B = .27 (.05) p < .001, anger, B = .08 (.01), p < .001, and anxiety, B = .10 (.01), p < .001. Associations between discrimination and anger, B = −.005 (.002), p = .02, were weakest among those with stronger cultural beliefs. The link between discrimination and anxiety was attenuated by an active coping style, B = −.05 (.03), p = .04. In sum, self-reported discrimination appeared to adversely impact the mental health of AIs. Discrimination may be better coped with by having strong traditional cultural beliefs and actively managing experiences of discrimination
Stress Evolution in Composite Silicon Electrodes during Lithiation/Delithiation
We report real-time average stress measurements on composite silicon
electrodes made with two different binders [Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and
polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)] during electrochemical lithiation and
delithiation. During galvanostatic lithiation at very slow rates, the stress in
a CMC-based electrode becomes compressive and increases to 70 MPa, where it
reaches a plateau and increases slowly thereafter with capacity. The PVDF-based
electrode exhibits similar behavior, although with lower peak compressive
stress of about 12 MPa. These initial experiments indicate that the stress
evolution in a Si composite electrode depends strongly on the mechanical
properties of the binder. Stress data obtained from a series of
lithiation/delithiation cycles suggests plasticity induced irreversible shape
changes in contacting Si particles, and as a result, the stress response of the
system during any given lithiation/delithiation cycle depends on the cycling
history of the electrode. While these results constitute the first in-situ
stress measurements on composite Si electrodes during electrochemical cycling,
the diagnostic technique described herein can be used to assess the mechanical
response of a composite electrode made with other active material/binder
combinations.Comment: 22 pages, 8 figure
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Not AvailableArunachal Pradesh, the largest mountainous state of India, is situated in the northeastern part of the Himalayan region and characterized by high annual rainfall, forest vegetation and diversity in soils. Information on the soils of the state is essential for scientific land use planning and sustainable production. A soil resource inventory and subsequent database creation for thematic mapping using a Geographical Information System (GIS) is presented in this paper. Physiographically, Arunachal Pradesh can be divided into four distinct zones: snow-capped mountains (5500 m amsl); lower Himalayan ranges (3500 m amsl); the sub-Himalayan Siwalik hills (700 m amsl); and the eastern Assam plains. Soils occurring in these physiographic zones are lnceptisols (37 percent), Entisols (35 per- cent), Ultisols (14 percent) and Alfisols (0.5 percent). The remaining soils can be classed as miscellaneous. Soil resource inventory studies show that the soils of the warm perhumid eastern Himalayan ecosystem, with a ‘thermic’ temperature regime, are lnceptisols and Entisols; and that they are highly acidic in nature. Soils of the warm perhumid Siwalik hill ecosystem, with a ‘hyperthermic’ temperature regime, are also Entisols and lnceptisols with a high to moderate acidic condition. The dominant soils of the northeastern Purvachal hill ecosystem, with ‘hyperthermic’ and ‘thermic’ temperature regimes, are Ultisols and Inceptisols. lnceptisols and Entisols are the dominant soils in the hot and humid plain ecosystem. Steeply sloping landform and high rainfall are mainly responsible for a high erosion hazard in the state. The soil erosion map indicates that very severe (20 percent of TGA) to severe (25 percent of TGA) soil erosion takes place in the warm per-humid zone, whereas, moderate erosion takes place in the Siwalik hills and hot, humid plain areas. This is evident from the soil depth class distribution of Arunachal Pradesh, which shows that shallow soils cover 20 percent of the TGA of the state. Most of the the state is covered by hills and agri- cultural practices are limited to valley regions, However, the soils of other physiographic zones (lower altitudinal, moderately hilly terrain) provide scope for plantations, such as orange, banana and tea plantations.Not Availabl
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