Surgical equipments for pearl culture

Special types, of Surgical instruments required in pearl culture have been developed indigeouly for the first time. The paper describes the equipment and the process of manufacture, It also deals briefly with their use in the preparation of tissue grafts and in the operation for nucleus insertion

Hydrothermal monitoring in Yellowstone National Park using airborne thermal infrared remote sensing

This paper describes the image acquisition and processing methodology, including surface emissivity and atmospheric corrections, for generating surface temperatures of two active hydrothermal systems in Yellowstone National Park. Airborne thermal infrared (8–12 μm) images were obtained annually from 2007 to 2012 using a FLIR SC640 thermal infrared camera system. Thermal infrared image acquisitions occurred under clear-sky conditions after sunset to meet the objective of providing high-spatial resolution, georectified imagery for hydrothermal monitoring. Comparisons of corrected radiative temperature maps with measured ground and water kinetic temperatures at flight times provided an assessment of temperature accuracy. A repeatable, time-sequence of images for Hot Spring Basin (2007–2012) and Norris Geyser Basin (2008–2012) documented fracture-related changes in temperature and fluid flow for both hydrothermal systems, highlighting the utility of methods for synoptic monitoring of Yellowstone National Park\u27s hydrothermal systems

Scattering of polarised light by colloids containing anisotropic particles

It is only recently that the theoretical significance of the elliptic polarisation of light scattered by colloids containing particles of large size has been pointed out and an analysis made of the theoretical conclusions regarding ellipticity from Mie's theory for spherical particles. The earlier qualitative measurements on ellipticity of the scattered light have been explained on the basis of these new ideas and the implications of Mie's theory brought out more clearly. New experiments have been devised and used for measuring the constant phase difference δ that exists between the vertical and horizontal components of the transversely scattered light when the incident light is polarised in any azimuth. Measurements have been made both for systems of spherical particles and anisotropic particles. It is found that even in the case of large anisotropic particles δ is a constant. It follows therefore, that in the most general case of large anisotropic colloidal particles the polarised scattering due to finite size is elliptic in nature and is superposed on the depolarised part due to anisotropy

Bioactive potential of selected actinobacterial strains against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other clinical pathogens

1307-1311Marine actinobacteria produces diverse array of metabolites with novel chemical structures with potential bioactivities. Exploring the understudied ecosystems may increase the chance of getting novel actinobacteria and new metabolites.The present study explores the bioactive potential of actinobacteria isolated from the marine ecosystem of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Bay of Bengal, against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other clinical pathogens. The crude extracts from 15 marine actinobacterial strains were produced through agar surface fermentation using YEME agar and extracted using ethyl acetate. The crude extracts were tested against the standard strain M. tuberculosis H37Rv, clinical drug sensitive M. tuberculosis, and MDR M. tuberculosis strains by luciferase reporter phage (LRP) assay at 500 µg/ml concentration. The anti-microbial activity against other clinical pathogens, namely, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella paratyphi, Klebsiellapneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcusneoformans and non-tubercular mycobacteria, M. smegmatis was studied by agar plug method. Among the 15 extracts that were tested for anti-tubercular activity, the crude ethyl acetate extract of the 14 actinobacterial strains showed anti-tubercular activity against at least one of the three M. tuberculosis strains. Exceptionally, the ethyl acetate extract of strain SACC 168 inhibited all three M. tuberculosis strains tested. In anti-microbial screening, the crude extracts of eight strains showed anti-microbial activity including six strains, which were active against the non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Further purification and characterization of the active molecule from the potential extracts will pave way for the potential natural product candidate for tuberculosis and other microbial infections

Developing a serocorrelate of protection against invasive group B streptococcus disease in pregnant women: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Group B streptococcus is the leading cause of infection in infants. Currently, intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis is the major strategy to prevent invasive group B streptococcus disease. However, intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis does not prevent maternal sepsis, premature births, stillbirths or late-onset disease. Maternal vaccination may offer an alternative strategy. Multivalent polysaccharide protein conjugate vaccine development is under way and a serocorrelate of protection is needed to expedite vaccine licensure. OBJECTIVES: The ultimate aim of this work is to determine the correlate of protection against the major group B streptococcus disease-causing serotypes in infants in the UK. The aim of this feasibility study is to test key operational aspects of the study design. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study of pregnant women and their infants in a 6-month period (1 July to 31 December 2018). SETTING: Five secondary and tertiary hospitals from London and South England. National iGBS disease surveillance was conducted in all trusts in England and Wales. PARTICIPANTS: Pregnant women aged ≥ 18 years who were delivering at one of the selected hospitals and who provided consent during the study period. There were no exclusion criteria. INTERVENTIONS: No interventions were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) To test the feasibility of collecting serum at delivery from a large cohort of pregnant women. (2) To test the key operational aspects for a proposed large serocorrelates study. (3) To test the feasibility of collecting samples from those with invasive group B streptococcus. RESULTS: A total of 1823 women were recruited during the study period. Overall, 85% of serum samples were collected at three sites collecting only cord blood. At the two sites collecting maternal, cord and infant blood samples, the collection rate was 60%. A total of 614 women were screened for group B streptococcus with a colonisation rate of 22% (serotype distribution: 30% III, 25% Ia, 16% II, 14% Ib, 14% V and 1% IV). A blood sample was collected from 34 infants who were born to colonised women. Maternal and infant blood and the bacterial isolates for 15 newborns who developed invasive group B streptococcal disease during the study period were collected (serotype distribution: 29% III, 29% II, 21% Ia, 7% Ib, 7% IV and 7% V). LIMITATIONS: Recruitment and sample collection were dependent on the presence of research midwives rather than the whole clinical team. In addition, individualised consent limited the number of women who could be approached each day, and site set-up for the national surveillance study and the limited time period of this feasibility study limited recruitment of all eligible participants. CONCLUSIONS: We have verified the feasibility of collecting and processing rectovaginal swabs and blood samples in pregnant women, as well as samples from those with invasive group B streptococcal disease. We have made recommendations for the recruitment of cases within the proposed GBS3 study and for controls both within GBS3 and as an extension of this feasibility study. FUTURE WORK: A large case-control study comparing specific immunoglobulin G levels in mothers whose infants develop invasive group B streptococcal disease with those in colonised mothers whose infants do not develop invasive group B streptococcal disease is recommended. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN49326091; IRAS project identification number 246149/REC reference number 18/WM/0147. FUNDING: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 23, No. 67. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information

Method for separating single-wall carbon nanotubes and compositions thereof

The invention relates to a process for sorting and separating a mixture of (n, m) type single-wall carbon nanotubes according to (n, m) type. A mixture of (n, m) type single-wall carbon nanotubes is suspended such that the single-wall carbon nanotubes are individually dispersed. The nanotube suspension can be done in a surfactant-water solution and the surfactant surrounding the nanotubes keeps the nanotube isolated and from aggregating with other nanotubes. The nanotube suspension is acidified to protonate a fraction of the nanotubes. An electric field is applied and the protonated nanotubes migrate in the electric fields at different rates dependent on their (n, m) type. Fractions of nanotubes are collected at different fractionation times. The process of protonation, applying an electric field, and fractionation is repeated at increasingly higher pH to separated the (n, m) nanotube mixture into individual (n, m) nanotube fractions. The separation enables new electronic devices requiring selected (n, m) nanotube types

Measurement of liver and spleen interstitial volume in patients with systemic amyloid light-chain amyloidosis using equilibrium contrast CT

OBJECTIVES: To investigate equilibrium contrast-enhanced CT (EQ-CT) measurement of extracellular volume fraction (ECV) in patients with systemic amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, testing the hypothesis that ECV becomes elevated in the liver and spleen and ECV correlates with other estimates of organ amyloid burden. METHODS: 26 patients with AL amyloidosis underwent EQ-CT, and ECV was measured in the liver and spleen. Patients also underwent serum amyloid P (SAP) component scintigraphy with grading of liver and spleen involvement. Mann-Whitney U test was used to test for a difference between patients with amyloid deposition (SAP grade 1-3) and those without (SAP grade 0). Variation in ECV across SAP grades was assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and association between ECV and SAP grades with Spearman correlation. RESULTS: Mean ECV in the spleen and liver was significantly greater (p < 0.0005) in amyloidotic organs (SAP grade 1-3) [spleen, liver: 0.430, 0.375] compared with healthy tissues [spleen, liver: 0.304, 0.269]. ECV increased with increasing amyloid burden, showing positive correlation with SAP grade in both the liver (r = 0.758) and spleen (r = 0.867). CONCLUSION: In patients with systemic AL amyloidosis, EQ-CT can demonstrate increased spleen and liver ECV, which is associated with amyloid disease burden

Structure-function studies of the bHLH phosphorylation domain of TWIST1 in prostate cancer cells

The TWIST1 gene has diverse roles in development and pathologic diseases such as cancer. TWIST1 is a dimeric basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor existing as TWIST1-TWIST1 or TWIST1-E12/47. TWIST1 partner choice and DNA binding can be influenced during development by phosphorylation of Thr125 and Ser127 of the Thr-Gln-Ser (TQS) motif within the bHLH of TWIST1. The significance of these TWIST1 phosphorylation sites for metastasis is unknown. We created stable isogenic prostate cancer cell lines overexpressing TWIST1 wild-type, phospho-mutants, and tethered versions. We assessed these isogenic lines using assays that mimic stages of cancer metastasis. In vitro assays suggested the phospho-mimetic Twist1-DQD mutation could confer cellular properties associated with pro-metastatic behavior. The hypo-phosphorylation mimic Twist1-AQA mutation displayed reduced pro-metastatic activity compared to wild-type TWIST1 in vitro, suggesting that phosphorylation of the TWIST1 TQS motif was necessary for pro-metastatic functions. In vivo analysis demonstrates that the Twist1-AQA mutation exhibits reduced capacity to contribute to metastasis, whereas the expression of the Twist1-DQD mutation exhibits proficient metastatic potential. Tethered TWIST1-E12 heterodimers phenocopied the Twist1-DQD mutation for many in vitro assays, suggesting that TWIST1 phosphorylation may result in heterodimerization in prostate cancer cells. Lastly, the dual phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor BEZ235 strongly attenuated TWIST1-induced migration that was dependent on the TQS motif. TWIST1 TQS phosphorylation state determines the intensity of TWIST1-induced pro-metastatic ability in prostate cancer cells, which may be partly explained mechanistically by TWIST1 dimeric partner choice