An Automated Analysis Of Single Particle Tracking Data For Proteins That Exhibit Multi Component Motion.

Neurons are polarized cells with dendrites and an axon projecting from their cell body. Due to this polarized structure a major challenge for neurons is the transport of material to and from the cell body. The transport that occurs between the cell body and axons is called Axonal transport. Axonal transport has three major components: molecular motors which act as vehicles, microtubules which serve as tracks on which these motors move and microtubule associated proteins which regulate the transport of material. Axonal transport maintains the integrity of a neuron and its dysfunction is linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as, Alzheimer’s disease, Frontotemporal dementia linked to chromosome 17 and Pick’s disease. Therefore, understanding the process of axonal transport is extremely important. Single particle tracking is one method in which axonal transport is studied. This involves fluorescent labelling of molecular motors and microtubule associated proteins and tracking their position in time. Single particle tracking has shown that both, molecular motors and microtubule associated proteins exhibit motion with multiple components. These components are directed, where motion is in one direction, diffusive, where motion is random, and static, where there is no motion. Moreover, molecular motors and microtubule associated proteins also switch between these different components in a single instance of motion. We have developed a MATLAB program, called MixMAs, which specializes in analyzing the data provided by single particle tracking. MixMAs uses a sliding window approach to analyze trajectories of motion. It is capable of distinguishing between different components of motion that are exhibited by molecular motors and microtubule associated proteins. It also identifies transitions that take place between different components of motion. Most importantly, it is not limited by the number of transitions and the number of components present in a single trajectory. The analysis results provided by MixMAs include all the necessary parameters required for a complete characterization of a particle’s motion. These parameters are the number of different transitions that take place between different components of motion, the dwell times of different components of motion, velocity for directed component of motion and diffusion coefficient for diffusive component of motion. We have validated the working of MixMAs by simulating motion of particles which show all three components of motion with all the possible transitions that can take place between them. The simulations are performed for different values of error in localizing the position of a particle. The simulations confirm that MixMAs accurately calculates parameters of motion for a range of localization errors. Finally, we show an application of MixMAs on experimentally obtained single particle data of Kinesin-3 motor

A 3D Geomechanical Model Of Blue Buttes Field In Williston Basin, North Dakota

Minimizing the costs and risks of drilling and achieving a maximum production rate are technically and economically challenging, this becomes more crucial when drilling in tight shale formations, an in-depth investigation of geomechanical behavior of the reservoir, including elastic properties, and the in-situ stresses also known as Mechanical Earth Model (MEM) is inevitable, which is studied by concept of Mechanical Earth Model (MEM). In this thesis, the concept of the MEM is used to determine rock strength and elastic properties of the wells in the Blue Buttes Field, Williston Basin, North Dakota. Blue Buttes is one of the major oil producing fields from the Bakken Formation. For this study, a 3-D MEM is constructed for the field. The input data includes wireline logs, core, drilling reports and, geological properties of the field. For the study, analysis was done on state of In-situ stresses, formation properties, and type of instabilities that occur around the trajectory of the wellbore specifically in the Bakken Shale Formation by acquiring anisotropic poro-elastic relationships to incorporate pore pressure and stresses in the field more accurately. In the next step, safe mud weight window was determined the to avoid shear and tensile failure during drilling, and mitigating other wellbore instabilities issues by controlling the sub surface parameters and considering chemical properties of the shales and mud activities. The constructed MEM model revealed how changes in pore pressure, stresses, and the overall properties physiochemical of the shale can hugely impact the drilling process and production from the field. which will minimize the unplanned well maintenance cost. Further it is helpful in studies such as drilling in the deviated holes, hydraulic fracturing, sanding analysis and perforation stability analysis

Sustainable Core Earnings & Stock Performance: An Evidence of the Pharmaceutical Sector of Pakistan

  This study furnishes a new measure of earnings quality that pertains to the sustainability of core-component & non-core components of earnings measured through firms’ and industry profitability benchmark and finds its impact on the stock performance in the context of the pharmaceutical sector of Pakistan. The study identifies twelve major determinants of sustainable earnings in the firms of the pharmaceutical sector of Pakistan that are mainly classified into core and non-core earnings and sub-classified into the firms’ and industry profitability benchmark and all three profitability measures (Gross Profit, Operating Profit & Net Profit). Based upon the core and non-core earnings components, the intensity of core earnings is measured and its impact on the stock performance is analyzed. For this purpose, a balanced panel data of 09 firms of the pharmaceutical sector that are listed in Pakistan stock exchange for 10 years i.e. 2010 to 2019 is used. The study employs two estimators: one, Random Effects Model for finding the determinants of sustainable earnings and its ability of sustainability and predictability, second, dynamic GMM model for measuring the impact of sustainable earnings on stock performance. This study affirms that the earnings of the firms operating in the pharmaceutical sector are sustainable; firms’ intensity of core earnings is a significant determinant of its profitability and industry intensity of core earnings is an insignificant determinant of firms’ profitability for the firms operating in the pharmaceutical sector of Pakistan. Lastly, the study did not find any significant impact of unexpected earnings on the stock’s performance on the firms. This study is of vital interest to investors, auditors, analysts, educational institutes, researchers and regulators

Right-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia and myelomeningocele: a rare association

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a rare birth defect with a prevalence of \u3c 0.5 per 1,000 live births. Majority of these defects are left-sided as most studies suggest that frequency of right-sided CDH was 10% of the total. The association of CDH with myelomeningocele (MMC) is extremely rare; as in Sweed\u27s study of 116 consecutive cases of CDH, the incidence of associated MMC with CDH was stated as 4.3%. There has been one previous case report of leftsided CDH, MMC and hydrocephalus prenatally diagnosed; but to the best of authors\u27 knowledge, this is the first reported case of the above constellation with a right-sided CDH diagnosed prenatally

Multiple major artery compression by an idiopathic aortic aneurysm: an unusual cause of hypertensive encephalopathy

Multiple major artery compression by an aortic aneurysm is extremely rare in the paediatric population. Most arterial aneurysms in children are secondary to infections mainly mycotic, connective tissue disorder, vasculitis, collagen vascular diseases, and other causes. True idiopathic aneurysms are the least common and a few reports in children have been published. We describe an 8 year old boy who presented with hypertensive encephalopathy and later was found to have an idiopathic, symptomatic suprarenal aortic aneurysm compressing multiple major arteries of the abdomen. The child was subsequently managed on multiple antihypertensive medication and later required engraftment of the renal and inferior mesenteric artery. The diagnostic workup, surgical treatment, and a review of the literature is described

Morbidity pattern of sick hospitalized preterm infants in Karachi, Pakistan

Despite recent advances, prematurity is associated with high morbidity and mortality in developing countries. We conducted a descriptive case series to identify frequency of various morbidities in premature neonates at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, from November 2008 to April 2009. All inborn premature \u3c or = 37 weeks gestation were included in study. The frequency of preterm birth during study period was 13.3% (251/1885) of which 58% (n = 145) required admission in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Mean gestational age was 33 +/- 2.4 weeks and mean birth weight, was 1.88 +/- 0.5 kg. 25% of patients were small for gestational age (SGA) while 75% appropriate for gestational age (AGA). Metabolic derangement was the most common morbidity, observed in 93% of patients followed by sepsis, seen in 43.6% neonates. Respiratory distress syndrome was observed in 35.5% of neonates while intraventricular haemorrhage was seen only in 3.5% patients. Mean length of stay for preterm infants in NICU was 11.5 +/- 9.6 days, 14% (n = 20) preterm neonates expired during NICU stay

Foreign body or foreign from body--congenital unilateral lobar hypoplasia of lung

We report a rare case of congenital unilateral hypoplasia of the lung without any other anomaly at Aga Khan University Hospital. A 7-month-old male infant presented in emergency room with respiratory distress. There was no history of cough and wheeze. X-ray revealed left sided non homogenous opacity along with right sided hyperinflation. A suspicion of foreign body was made on chest X-ray but bronchoscopy was deferred in view of bilateral equal air entry and absence of wheeze. CT scan showed left upper lobe hypoplasia. Child recovered with supportive therapy and was discharged home. To the best of our knowledge unilateral lobar malformation of the lung is an extremely rare entity and few cases have been reported so far

Omphalocoele, ten years experience at a tertiary care hospital

Omphalocoele is a rare congenital anterior abdominal wall defect. We present 12 cases of Omphalocoele seen in our hospital. Further, we have discussed the clinical presentation, antenatal diagnosis, associated abnormalities and final outcome of the cases