A Decentralized Policy for Minimization of Age of Incorrect Information in Slotted ALOHA Systems

The Age of Incorrect Information (AoII) is a metric that can combine the freshness of the information available to a gateway in an Internet of Things (IoT) network with the accuracy of that information. As such, minimizing the AoII can allow the operators of IoT systems to have a more precise and up-to-date picture of the environment in which the sensors are deployed. However, most IoT systems do not allow for centralized scheduling or explicit coordination, as sensors need to be extremely simple and consume as little power as possible. Finding a decentralized policy to minimize the AoII can be extremely challenging in this setting. This paper presents a heuristic to optimize AoII for a slotted ALOHA system, starting from a threshold-based policy and using dual methods to converge to a better solution. This method can significantly outperform state-independent policies, finding an efficient balance between frequent updates and a low number of packet collisions.Comment: Accepted to IEEE ICC 202

Tin (IV) chloride catalysed synthesis of di(indolyl)methanes during electrophilic substitution of indoles and 2-methyl indoles

An efficient methodology has been developed for the synthesis of di(indolyl)methanes in moderate to good yields during the study of the reactions of indole and 2-methyl indole using a series of aliphatic ketones in the presence of stannic chloride. It appears worth mentioning that with 2-methyl indole and acetone and ethyl methyl ketone the highly “elusive” indolylcarbinols, the postulated intermediates in the synthesis of di(indolyl)methanes, have been isolated

An Overview of the Genus Nardostachys

Nardostachys jatamansi, a medicinally important herb of Nepalese origin, has been used for centuries in the Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine. In combination with Marsilea minuta it is being used as an antistress and anticonvulsant drug and also finds use in the treatment of epilepsy. Recently, it has been reported that N. jatamansi, which plays an important role in protecting from cerebral ischemia and liver damage, is also used for the treatment of osteoporosis and hypercalcemia. The other member of the genus Nardostachys, N. chinensis, possesses antifungal and antimalarial properties. It is also used in the treatment of skin dysfunction. A short summary of the chemical constituents of the two species along with their physical and biological properties is reported

N-(4-Methylphenyl) Benzenepropanamide - the First Isolated Amide From the Genus Paederia

Investigation of the stem of Paederia foetida (Rubiaceae) resulted in the isolation and characterization of N-(4-methylphenyl)-benzopropanamide, which was hitherto unknown as a natural product This is the first report of an amide for the genus Paederia

The molecular chaperone heat shock protein-90 positively regulates rotavirus infection

AbstractRotaviruses are the major cause of severe dehydrating gastroenteritis in children worldwide. In this study, we report a positive role of cellular chaperone Hsp90 during rotavirus infection. A highly specific Hsp90 inhibitor, 17-allylamono-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) was used to delineate the functional role of Hsp90. In MA104 cells treated with 17-AAG after viral adsorption, replication of simian (SA11) or human (KU) strains was attenuated as assessed by quantitating both plaque forming units and expression of viral genes. Phosphorylation of Akt and NFκB observed 2–4 hpi with SA11, was strongly inhibited in the presence of 17-AAG. Direct Hsp90–Akt interaction in virus infected cells was also reduced in the presence of 17-AAG. Anti-rotaviral effects of 17-AAG were due to inhibition of activation of Akt that was confirmed since, PI3K/Akt inhibitors attenuated rotavirus growth significantly. Thus, Hsp90 regulates rotavirus by modulating cellular signaling proteins. The results highlight the importance of cellular proteins during rotavirus infection and the possibility of targeting cellular chaperones for developing new anti-rotaviral strategies

DNA Methylation and Transcription Patterns in Intestinal Epithelial Cells From Pediatric Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Differentiate Disease Subtypes and Associate With Outcome.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We analyzed DNA methylation patterns and transcriptomes of primary intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) of children newly diagnosed with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) to learn more about pathogenesis. METHODS: We obtained mucosal biopsies (N = 236) collected from terminal ileum and ascending and sigmoid colons of children (median age 13 years) newly diagnosed with IBD (43 with Crohn's disease [CD], 23 with ulcerative colitis [UC]), and 30 children without IBD (controls). Patients were recruited and managed at a hospital in the United Kingdom from 2013 through 2016. We also obtained biopsies collected at later stages from a subset of patients. IECs were purified and analyzed for genome-wide DNA methylation patterns and gene expression profiles. Adjacent microbiota were isolated from biopsies and analyzed by 16S gene sequencing. We generated intestinal organoid cultures from a subset of samples and genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was performed. RESULTS: We found gut segment-specific differences in DNA methylation and transcription profiles of IECs from children with IBD vs controls; some were independent of mucosal inflammation. Changes in gut microbiota between IBD and control groups were not as large and were difficult to assess because of large amounts of intra-individual variation. Only IECs from patients with CD had changes in DNA methylation and transcription patterns in terminal ileum epithelium, compared with controls. Colon epithelium from patients with CD and from patients with ulcerative colitis had distinct changes in DNA methylation and transcription patterns, compared with controls. In IECs from patients with IBD, changes in DNA methylation, compared with controls, were stable over time and were partially retained in ex-vivo organoid cultures. Statistical analyses of epithelial cell profiles allowed us to distinguish children with CD or UC from controls; profiles correlated with disease outcome parameters, such as the requirement for treatment with biologic agents. CONCLUSIONS: We identified specific changes in DNA methylation and transcriptome patterns in IECs from pediatric patients with IBD compared with controls. These data indicate that IECs undergo changes during IBD development and could be involved in pathogenesis. Further analyses of primary IECs from patients with IBD could improve our understanding of the large variations in disease progression and outcomes

Pion-Xi correlations in Au-Au collisions at STAR

We present pion-Xi correlation analysis in Au-Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN)= 200 GeV and sqrt(s_NN) = 62.4 GeV, performed using the STAR detector at RHIC. A Xi*(1530) resonance signal is observed for the first time in Au-Au collisions. Experimental data are compared with theoretical predictions. The strength of the Xi* peak is reproduced in the correlation function assuming that pions and Xis emerge from a system in collective expansion.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of 18th Nuclear Physics Division Conference of the EPS (NPDC18),Prague, 23.8.-29.8. 200

Inclusive pi0 spectra at high transverse momentum in d-Au collisions at RHIC

Preliminary results on inclusive neutral pion production in d-Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV in the pseudo-rapidity range 0<eta<1 are presented. The measurement is performed using the STAR Barrel Electromagnetic calorimeter (BEMC). In this paper, the analysis of the first BEMC hadron measurement is described and the results are compared with earlier RHIC findings. The pi0 invariant differential cross sections show good agreement with next-to-leading order (NLO) perturbative QCD calculations.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, 18th Nuclear Physics Division Conference of the EPS, Prague, submitted to Nucl. Phys.

Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations in p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions at 200 GeV

We present the first measurement of directed flow ($v_1$) at RHIC. $v_1$ is found to be consistent with zero at pseudorapidities $\eta$ from -1.2 to 1.2, then rises to the level of a couple of percent over the range $2.4 < |\eta| < 4$. The latter observation is similar to data from NA49 if the SPS rapidities are shifted by the difference in beam rapidity between RHIC and SPS. Back-to-back jets emitted out-of-plane are found to be suppressed more if compared to those emitted in-plane, which is consistent with {\it jet quenching}. Using the scalar product method, we systematically compared azimuthal correlations from p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions. Flow and non-flow from these three different collision systems are discussed.Comment: Quark Matter 2004 proceeding, 4 pages, 3 figure

Azimuthal anisotropy: the higher harmonics

We report the first observations of the fourth harmonic (v_4) in the azimuthal distribution of particles at RHIC. The measurement was done taking advantage of the large elliptic flow generated at RHIC. The integrated v_4 is about a factor of 10 smaller than v_2. For the sixth (v_6) and eighth (v_8) harmonics upper limits on the magnitudes are reported.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, contribution to the Quark Matter 2004 proceeding