Criticality of tuning in athermal phase transitions

We experimentally address the importance of tuning in athermal phase transitions, which are triggered only by a slowly varying external field acting as tuning parameter. Using higher order statistics of fluctuations, a singular critical instability is detected for the first time in spite of an apparent universal self-similar kinetics over a broad range of driving force. The results as well as the experimental technique are likely to be of significance to many slowly driven non-equilibrium systems from geophysics to material science which display avalanche dynamics.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Myxoid Neurothekeoma of the Nipple

Neurothekeomas are rare benign cutaneous neoplasms of nerve sheath origin. They are primarily found in the superficial soft tissue and are also known as dermal nerve sheath myxomas. They are commonly found on the upper extremities, head and neck followed by trunk. Here is an unusual presentation of neurothekeoma occurring as a polypoidal lesion of the nipple in a young female patient

Preliminary studies of isozyme patterns of isolates of colletotrichum gloeosporioides from host plants in Malaysia

Isozyme variation of 25 isolates of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides from 12 different Malaysian host plants were studied using polycrylamide gel electrophoresis. The hosts included seven species of legumes and one species Fach of citrus, grass, cocoa, pepper and chiUi. One to five electromorphs per enzyme were produced for the five enzyme systems typed. Some isolates did not produce any bands for the enzymes studied. Double to multiple bands were observed with esterases, MDH, GLDH and LDH. Only one pepper isolate produced a single band for GDH. Some variations among the isolates of different host plants were observed with the isozyme patterns of esterases and MDH. Isozyme tests may prove to be a useful tool in the identification of C. gloeosporioides of different host plants when mOre samples are tested in future

Anticancer efficacy of phenolics based structurally related compounds and their radical scavenging action

Cancer, one of the leading causes of death worldwide, is an abnormal cell proliferation that fails to respond to the normal signals. In an effort to eradicate the growing menace of cancer, a clear understanding of fundamental biology and molecular mechanism of carcinogenesis is essential for targeted therapies. Among the devised strategies in use for cancer treatment, the one that is of immense interest is the development of plant based novel anticancer agents. Due to their tremendous availability, biological activity and efficacy, the phytochemicals deemed a gibbous future in chemoprevention. In the present study, several phenolics based structurally related compounds of steroidal and non-steroidal skeleton were synthesized and tested for their modulatory effect on ornithine decarboxylase activity, an enzyme highly upregulated in cancer. Additionally, these compounds were also examined for radical scavenging extent to establish a correlation with the anticancer property. Our result suggests that the tested compounds possessed radical scavenging activity, for being the inherent property of the phenolics. 3-(3’,4’5’-trimethoxyphenyl)-4,5,6-trimethoxyindan-1-one oxime exhibited highest inhibition of enzyme activity (91%) followed by 1-(2,4-dibromophenyl)-3-[3-methoxyestra 1,3,5(10)-trien-17-acetate,2-yl]-2-propen-1-one (85%), 2-Hydroxy, 3-(3’,4’,5’-trimethoxy phenyl)-4,5,6-trimethoxy ind-2-en-1-one (80%), 1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-2-propen-1-one (74%) and 1-(3,-methoxy, 4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-[3-methoxyestra 1,3,5(10)-trien-17-acetate, 2-yl]-2-propen-1-one (67%). Furthermore, it was observed that 1-(3-Methoxy, 4- hydroxyphenyl)-3-[3-methoxyestra 1,3,5 (10)-trien-17-acetate, 2-yl]-2-propen-1-one showed the highest scavenging effect (67%) in nitric oxide assay, whereas 1-(3-methylphenyl)-3-[3-methoxy, 17-hydroxyestra 1,3,5(10)-trien, 2-yl]-2-propen-1-one showed maximum inhibition of radical formation in 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl analysis. Most of these compounds possessed a 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl unit which might be inducing enzyme inhibition and scavenging radical formation. Further investigations are on the way to establish the structure-activity relationship, so that these compounds can be developed as anticancer agents

Comparative studies of isolates of colletotrichum gloeosporioides from eighteen Malaysian hosts

Colletotrichum gloeosporioidesfrom eighteen Malaysian hosts, namely mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata), cacao (Theobroma cacao), an orchid (Cattleya sp.), pepper (Piper nigrum), chilli (Capsicum annum), grass (Imperata cylindrica), mango (Mangifera indica) and legume cover crops (Pueraria phaeseoloides, Centrosema pubescens, and Calopogonium mucunoides) and a weed (Mimosa pudica), vegetables (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus, Phaseolus vulgaris, Vigna radiata, Vigna sesquipedalis and Arachis hypogaea), a shrub (Leucaena leucocephala) and a herbaceous vine (Clitoria ternatea) were examined for colony growth characteristics, morphology of conidia, growth on various media and temperatures and pathogenicity on Phaeseolus bean hypocotyls. Conidium size ofColletotrichum gloeosporioides was 14.25-19.0 x 2.7-5.03 llm. The appressorium size was 6.34-10.08 x 5.28-7.31 llm and the shape was globose/sub-globose/lobed. No correlation between the appressorium size and shape was noticed. The optimum temperature for growth was 28 and 30°C. None of the isolates caused infection symptoms on Phaseolus bean hypocotyls

Understanding the Clotting Cascade, Regulators, and Clinical Modulators of Coagulation

The circulatory system plays a vital role in the survival of an organism by supplying it with essential nutrients, signaling molecules and eliminating the waste or toxic products from the body. This flow is tightly regulated by various factors, procoagulants support the formation of hemostatic plugs to prevent the leakage or blood loss and anticoagulants prevent the formation of unwanted clots. Disruption or dysregulation of procoagulants and anticoagulants lead to clinical complexities. In this chapter defects in the coagulation system, hereditary, acquired coagulation disorders, their diagnosis and recent clinical modulators of the coagulation system are discussed

Improved Decision Tree Methodology for the Attributes of Unknown or Uncertain Characteristics – Construction Project Prospective

Increasing use of computers, leads to accumulation of data of an organization, demanding the need of sophisticated data handling techniques. Many data handling concepts have evolved that support data analysis, and knowledge discovery. Data warehouse and Data mining techniques are playing an important role in the area of data analysis for knowledge discovery. These techniques typically address the four basic applications such as data classification, data clustering, association between data and finding sequential patterns between the data. Various algorithms that address to classification on large data sets have proved to be efficient in classifying the variables of known or certain characteristics. However they are less effective when applied to the analysis of variable of unknown or uncertain characteristics and creating classes by combining multiple correlated variables in real world. A methodology presented in the paper that addresses two major issues of data classification using decision tree, 1) classification of variables of unknown or uncertain characteristics, 2) creating classification by combining multiple correlated variables

Experimental Study on the Performance of Reinforced Sand Beds Under Repeated Loads in Presence of Water

The performance and behavior of reinforced soil structure, both in the field and the laboratory are well documented. In the field situation, when the reinforced sand beds are used as a construction tool or as a ground improvement method, it is often the situation that they are subjected to the effect of water. In this study series of repeated load tests were conducted on mild steel square footing of 100mm size resting on a sand bed placed in a 500mm-dia, 390mm deep mild steel tank. Reinforcement location and spacing were selected based on optimization of previous research results. The sand beds were inundated to different levels viz full and partial. The results of the experiments demonstrated the impact of pressure of water on the performance of reinforced earth when subjected to repeated loading. The reinforced sand beds are very efficient under the repeated loads and the presence of water table has a considerable influence on their performance. The cyclic resistance ratio of the reinforced sand bed increases and the settlement ratio reduces considerably, when reinforcements are introduced in them