Determination of Optimal Block Designs With Pre-assigned Variance For Elementary Contrasts

A method for obtaining optimal designs from the class of variance balanced and connected designs was developed for comparing treatment effects with a pre-assigned variance. The properties of the C-matrix of a block design are employed in developing this method. Some new results concerning the design parameters and the non-zero characteristic root of the C-matrix are also presented

Molecular association of glucose-6- phosphate isomerase and pyruvate kinase M2 with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in cancer cells

Background: For a long time cancer cells are known for increased uptake of glucose and its metabolization through glycolysis. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a key regulatory enzyme of this pathway and can produce ATP through oxidative level of phosphorylation. Previously, we reported that GAPDH purified from a variety of malignant tissues, but not from normal tissues, was strongly inactivated by a normal metabolite, methylglyoxal (MG).Molecular mechanism behind MG mediated GAPDH inhibition in cancer cells is not well understood. Methods: GAPDH was purified from Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells based on its enzymatic activity. GAPDH associated proteins in EAC cells and 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC) induced mouse tumor tissue were detected by mass spectrometry analysis and immunoprecipitation (IP) experiment, respectively. Interacting domains of GAPDH and its associated proteins were assessed by in silico molecular docking analysis. Mechanism of MG mediated GAPDH inactivation in cancer cells was evaluated by measuring enzyme activity, Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, IP and mass spectrometry analyses. Result: Here, we report that GAPDH is associated with glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) cells and also in 3-methylcholanthrene (3MC) induced mouse tumor tissue. Molecular docking analyses suggest C-terminal domain preference for the interaction between GAPDH and GPI. However, both C and N termini of PKM2 might be interacting with the C terminal domain of GAPDH. Expression of both PKM2 and GPI is increased in 3MC induced tumor compared with the normal tissue. In presence of 1 mM MG,association of GAPDH with PKM2 or GPI is not perturbed, but the enzymatic activity of GAPDH is reduced to 26.8 ± 5 % in 3MC induced tumor and 57.8 ± 2.3 % in EAC cells. Treatment of MG to purified GAPDH complex leads to glycation at R399 residue of PKM2 only, and changes the secondary structure of the protein complex. Conclusion: PKM2 may regulate the enzymatic activity of GAPDH. Increased enzymatic activity of GAPDH in tumor cells may be attributed to its association with PKM2 and GPI. Association of GAPDH with PKM2 and GPI could be a signature for cancer cells. Glycation at R399 of PKM2 and changes in the secondary structure of GAPDH complex could be one of the mechanisms by which GAPDH activity is inhibited in tumor cells by MG

Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run

Among the various candidates for dark matter (DM), ultralight vector DM can be probed by laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors through the measurement of oscillating length changes in the arm cavities. In this context, KAGRA has a unique feature due to differing compositions of its mirrors, enhancing the signal of vector DM in the length change in the auxiliary channels. Here we present the result of a search for U(1)B−L gauge boson DM using the KAGRA data from auxiliary length channels during the first joint observation run together with GEO600. By applying our search pipeline, which takes into account the stochastic nature of ultralight DM, upper bounds on the coupling strength between the U(1)B−L gauge boson and ordinary matter are obtained for a range of DM masses. While our constraints are less stringent than those derived from previous experiments, this study demonstrates the applicability of our method to the lower-mass vector DM search, which is made difficult in this measurement by the short observation time compared to the auto-correlation time scale of DM

Efficiency balanced designs through reinforcement

In this investigation, general efficiency balanced (GEB) and efficiency balanced (EB) designs with (v + t) treatments, using (i) balanced incomplete block (BIB), (ii) symmetrical BIB, (iii) f -resolvable BIB, (iv) group divisible (GD) and (v) resolvable GD designs have been constructed with smaller number of replications and block sizes.

Identifying Postural Instability in Children with Cerebral Palsy Using a Predictive Model: A Longitudinal Multicenter Study

Insufficient postural control and trunk instability are serious concerns in children with cerebral palsy (CP). We implemented a predictive model to identify factors associated with postural impairments such as spastic or hypotonic truncal tone (TT) in children with CP. We conducted a longitudinal, double-blinded, multicenter, descriptive study of 102 teenagers with CP with cognitive impairment and severe motor disorders with and without truncal tone impairments treated in two specialized hospitals (60 inpatients and 42 outpatients; 60 males, mean age 16.5 ± 1.2 years, range 12 to 18 yrs). Clinical and functional data were collected between 2006 and 2021. TT-PredictMed, a multiple logistic regression prediction model, was developed to identify factors associated with hypotonic or spastic TT following the guidelines of “Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis or Diagnosis”. Predictors of hypotonic TT were hip dysplasia (p = 0.01), type of etiology (postnatal > perinatal > prenatal causes; p = 0.05), male gender, and poor manual (p = 0.01) and gross motor function (p = 0.05). Predictors of spastic TT were neuromuscular scoliosis (p = 0.03), type of etiology (prenatal > perinatal > postnatal causes; p diplegia > hemiplegia; p = 0.05), presence of dystonia (p = 0.001), and epilepsy (refractory > controlled, p = 0.009). The predictive model’s average accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity reached 82%. The model’s accuracy aligns with recent studies on applying machine learning models in the clinical field

Identification of confounded design and its interactions

Kane has discussed a simple method for identifying the confounded interactions from 2n factorial experiments when a replication consists of (1) two blocks and (2) more than two blocks. It should be noted that Kane's method holds only for (1) regular design and (2) when one interaction is confounded. In the present investigation, we proposed a new way of identifying the confounded designs and the confounded interactions in 2n factorial experiments. Furthermore, the same method is extended to 3n and Sn factorial experiments.

Introducing UWF-ZeekData22: A Comprehensive Network Traffic Dataset Based on the MITRE ATT&CK Framework

With the rapid rate at which networking technologies are changing, there is a need to regularly update network activity datasets to accurately reflect the current state of network infrastructure/traffic. The uniqueness of this work was that this was the first network dataset collected using Zeek and labelled using the MITRE ATT&CK framework. In addition to identifying attack traffic, the MITRE ATT&CK framework allows for the detection of adversary behavior leading to an attack. It can also be used to develop user profiles of groups intending to perform attacks. This paper also outlined how both the cyber range and hadoop’s big data platform were used for creating this network traffic data repository. The data was collected using Security Onion in two formats: Zeek and PCAPs. Mission logs, which contained the MITRE ATT&CK data, were used to label the network attack data. The data was transferred daily from the Security Onion virtual machine running on a cyber range to the big-data platform, Hadoop’s distributed file system. This dataset, UWF-ZeekData22, is publicly available at datasets.uwf.edu

Failure Analysis of a Steam Superheater Tube of a Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU) in a Petrochemical Industry

The aim of this investigation is to examine the premature failure of a low-pressure steam superheater tube used in a vacuum distillation unit of a petrochemical industry. Failure of the heater tube occurred in the form of leakages of fluid during the hydrostatic test. Visual observation of the failed tube revealed several fine cracks on the outer surface of the tube and localized corrosion pits/cavities on the inner surface of the tube. Chemical composition, hardness and tensile properties of the failed tube conform to the designated standard of ASTM A335 P11 grade of steel. The microstructure of the tube comprises ferrite–pearlite structure without any remarkable microstructural degradation. SEM micrographs of the leaked surface revealed the presence of fatigue cracks generated because of fluctuating thermal stresses experienced due to frequent shutdowns during plant operation. Fatigue cracks were found to originate from the pits/cavities on the inner surface of the tube. Pits/cavities were formed because of localized corrosion due to the presence of excess dissolved oxygen in the water along with S and Cl