Material of Structure affecting the Frequency Analysis using FEM Package

In the present investigation, efforts have been made to find effect material on cantilever beam under vibration. Specimens were modelled and analysed using FEM package (Abacus). Analysis was done by setting maximum frequency value as 60 Hz. It was found that a cantilever beam attains different modes of vibration. For mode-I of vibration the value of ‘strain energy’ and ‘deflection of beam’ along the cantilever beam from fixed end towards free end were obtained and tabulated. Aluminium, Copper and Steel were selected as three different materials for analysis. Numerical data obtained from FEM analysis were further tabulated and plotted for further useful analysis. Using numerical techniques, polynomial equations were also developed so that intermediate data can be determined

Quantifying Measurement Fluctuations from Stochastic Surface Processes on Sensors with Heterogeneous Sensitivity

Recent advances in micro- and nanotechnology have enabled the development of ultrasensitive sensors capable of detecting small numbers of species. In general, however, the response induced by the random adsorption of a small number of objects onto the surface of such sensors results in significant fluctuations due to the heterogeneous sensitivity inherent to many such sensors coupled to statistical fluctuations in the particle number. At present, this issue is addressed by considering either the limit of very large numbers of analytes, where fluctuations vanish, or the converse limit, where the sensor response is governed by individual analytes. Many cases of practical interest, however, fall between these two limits and remain challenging to analyze. Here, we address this limitation by deriving a general theoretical framework for quantifying measurement variations on mechanical resonators resulting from statistical-number fluctuations of analyte species. Our results provide insights into the stochastic processes in the sensing environment and offer opportunities to improve the performance of mechanical-resonator-based sensors. This metric can be used, among others, to aid in the design of robust sensor platforms to reach ultrahigh-resolution measurements using an array of sensors. These concepts, illustrated here in the context of biosensing, are general and can therefore be adapted and extended to other sensors with heterogeneous sensitivity.We acknowledge funding from the W. D. Armstrong fund, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Newman Foundation, St. John’s College–University of Cambridge, and European Research Council.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the American Physical Society via http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.5.06401

Ferumoxytol-enhanced MRI in patients with prior cardiac transplantation.

Objectives: Ultra-small superparamagnetic particles of iron oxide (USPIO)-enhanced MRI can detect cellular inflammation within tissues and may help non-invasively identify cardiac transplant rejection. Here, we aimed to determine the normal reference values for USPIO-enhanced MRI in patients with a prior cardiac transplant and examine whether USPIO-enhanced MRI could detect myocardial inflammation in patients with transplant rejection. Methods: Ten volunteers and 11 patients with cardiac transplant underwent T2, T2* and late gadolinium enhancement 1.5T MRI, with further T2* imaging at 24 hours after USPIO (ferumoxytol, 4 mg/kg) infusion, at baseline and 3 months. Results: Ten patients with clinically stable cardiac transplantation were retained for analysis. Myocardial T2 values were higher in patients with cardiac transplant versus healthy volunteers (53.8±5.2 vs 48.6±1.9 ms, respectively; p=0.003). There were no differences in the magnitude of USPIO-induced change in R2* in patients with transplantation (change in R2*, 26.6±7.3 vs 22.0±10.4 s-1 in healthy volunteers; p=0.28). After 3 months, patients with transplantation (n=5) had unaltered T2 values (52.7±2.8 vs 52.12±3.4 ms; p=0.80) and changes in R2* following USPIO (29.42±8.14 vs 25.8±7.8 s-1; p=0.43). Conclusion: Stable patients with cardiac transplantation have increased myocardial T2 values, consistent with resting myocardial oedema or fibrosis. In contrast, USPIO-enhanced MRI is normal and stable over time suggesting the absence of chronic macrophage-driven cellular inflammation. It remains to be determined whether USPIO-enhanced MRI may be able to identify acute cardiac transplant rejection. Trial registration number: NCT02319278349 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02319278) Registered 03.12.2014 EUDraCT 2013-002336-24

Rethinking the red wolf disease: does Protein S suppress systemic lupus erythematosus clinical activity?

In systemic lupus erythematosus, the forces responsible for disease initiation and self-perpetuation in these clinically heterogeneous populations remain poorly understood. Recent studies of the TAM (Tyro3, Axl and MerTK) family of receptor tyrosine kinases may lead to a better understanding of the fundamental control system responsible for the clearance of apoptotic cells and the regulation of inflammation. In a recent report, serum levels of the TAM ligand, Protein S, was found to correlate with certain disease manifestations and with C3 and C4 levels. Protein S levels could provide a quantitative clinical biomarker but it remains to be determined whether this factor directly affects disease activity

Utilization of a deoxynucleoside diphosphate substrate by HIV reverse transcriptase

Background: Deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) are the normal substrates for DNA sysnthesis is catalyzed by polymerases such as HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). However, substantial amounts of deoxynucleoside diphosphates (dNDPs) are also present in the cell. Use of dNDPs in HIV-1 DNA sysnthesis could have significant implications for the efficacy of nucleoside RT inhibitors such as AZT which are first line therapeutics fro treatment of HIV infection. Our earlier work on HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) suggested that the interaction between the γ phosphate of the incoming dNTP and RT residue K65 in the active site is not essential for dNTP insertion, implying that this polymerase may be able to insert dNPs in addition to dNTPs. Methodology/Principal Findings: We examined the ability of recombinant wild type (wt) and mutant RTs with substitutions at residue K65 to utilize a dNDP substrate in primer extension reactions. We found that wild type HIV-1 RT indeed catalyzes incorporation of dNDP substrates whereas RT with mutations of residue K645 were unable to catalyze this reaction. Wild type HIV-1 RT also catalyzed the reverse reaction, inorganic phosphate-dependent phosphorolysis. Nucleotide-mediated phosphorolytic removal of chain-terminating 3′-terminal nucleoside inhibitors such as AZT forms the basis of HIV-1 resistance to such drugs, and this removal is enhanced by thymidine analog mutations (TAMs). We found that both wt and TAM-containing RTs were able to catalyze Pi-mediated phosphorolysis of 3′-terminal AZT at physiological levels of Pi with an efficacy similar to that for ATP-dependent AZT-excision. Conclusion: We have identified two new catalytic function of HIV-1 RT, the use of dNDPs as substrates for DNA synthesis, and the use of Pi as substrate for phosphorolytic removal of primer 3′-terminal nucleotides. The ability to insert dNDPs has been documented for only one other DNA polymerase The RB69 DNA polymerase and the reverse reaction employing inorganic phosphate has not been documented for any DNA polymerase. Importantly, our results show that Pi-mediated phosphorolysis can contribute to AZT resistance and indicates that factors that influence HIV resistance to AZT are more complex than previously appreciated. © 2008 Garforth et al

Estimating the Associations between Big Five Personality Traits, Testosterone, and Cortisol

OBJECTIVE: Hormones are often conceptualized as biological markers of individual differences and have been associated with a variety of behavioral indicators and characteristics, such as mating behavior or acquiring and maintaining dominance. However, before researchers create strong theoretical models for how hormones modulate individual and social behavior, information on how hormones are associated with dominant models of personality is needed. Although there have been some studies attempting to quantify the associations between personality traits, testosterone, and cortisol, there are many inconsistencies across these studies. METHODS: In this registered report, we examined associations between testosterone, cortisol, and Big Five personality traits. We aggregated 25 separate samples to yield a single sample of 3964 (50.3% women; 27.7% of women were on hormonal contraceptives). Participants completed measures of personality and provided saliva samples for testosterone and cortisol assays. RESULTS: The results from multi-level models and meta-analyses revealed mostly weak, non-significant associations between testosterone or cortisol and personality traits. The few significant effects were still very small in magnitude (e.g., testosterone and conscientiousness: r = −0.05). A series of moderation tests revealed that hormone-personality associations were mostly similar in men and women, those using hormonal contraceptives or not, and regardless of the interaction between testosterone and cortisol (i.e., a variant of the dual-hormone hypothesis). CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, we did not detect many robust associations between Big Five personality traits and testosterone or cortisol. The findings are discussed in the context of biological models of personality and the utility of examining heterogeneity in hormone-personality associations

Counting and effective rigidity in algebra and geometry

The purpose of this article is to produce effective versions of some rigidity results in algebra and geometry. On the geometric side, we focus on the spectrum of primitive geodesic lengths (resp., complex lengths) for arithmetic hyperbolic 2-manifolds (resp., 3-manifolds). By work of Reid, this spectrum determines the commensurability class of the 2-manifold (resp., 3-manifold). We establish effective versions of these rigidity results by ensuring that, for two incommensurable arithmetic manifolds of bounded volume, the length sets (resp., the complex length sets) must disagree for a length that can be explicitly bounded as a function of volume. We also prove an effective version of a similar rigidity result established by the second author with Reid on a surface analog of the length spectrum for hyperbolic 3-manifolds. These effective results have corresponding algebraic analogs involving maximal subfields and quaternion subalgebras of quaternion algebras. To prove these effective rigidity results, we establish results on the asymptotic behavior of certain algebraic and geometric counting functions which are of independent interest.Comment: v.2, 39 pages. To appear in Invent. Mat

A Prospective Three-Year Cohort Study of the Epidemiology and Virology of Acute Respiratory Infections of Children in Rural India

Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is a major killer of children in developing countries. Although the frequency of ARI is similar in both developed and developing countries, mortality due to ARI is 10-50 times higher in developing countries. Viruses are common causes of ARI among such children, yet the disease burden of these infections in rural communities is unknown.A prospective longitudinal study was carried out in children enrolled from two rural Indian villages at birth and followed weekly for the development of ARI, classified as upper respiratory infection, acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI), or severe ALRI. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, parainfluenza viruses and adenoviruses in nasopharyngeal aspirates were detected by direct fluorescent antibody testing (DFA) and, in addition, centrifugation enhanced culture for RSV was done. 281 infants enrolled in 39 months and followed until 42 months. During 440 child years of follow-up there were 1307 ARIs, including 236 ALRIs and 19 severe ALRIs. Virus specific incidence rates per 1000 child years for RSV were total ARI 234, ALRI 39, and severe ALRI 9; for influenza A total ARI 141, ALRI 39; for INF B total ARI 37; for PIV1 total ARI 23, for PIV2 total ARI 28, ALRI 5; for parainfluenza virus 3 total ARI 229, ALRI 48, and severe ALRI 5 and for adenovirus total ARI 18, ALRI 5. Repeat infections with RSV were seen in 18 children.RSV, influenza A and parainfluenza virus 3 were important causes of ARI among children in rural communities in India. These data will be useful for vaccine design, development and implementation purposes