Seasonal, annual and inter-annual features of turbulence parameters over the tropical station Pune (18°32' N, 73°51' E) observed with UHF wind profiler

The present study is specifically focused on the seasonal, annual and inter-annual variations of the refractive index structure parameter (Cn2) using three years of radar observations. Energy dissipation rates (ε) during different seasons for a particular year are also computed over a tropical station, Pune. Doppler spectral width measurements made by the Wind Profiler, under various atmospheric conditions, are utilized to estimate the turbulence parameters. The refractive index structure parameter varies from 10−17.5 to 10−13 m−2/3 under clear air to precipitation conditions in the height region of 1.05 to 10.35 km. During the monsoon months, observed Cn2 values are up to 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than those during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Spectral width correction for various non-turbulent spectral broadenings such as beam broadening and shear broadening are made in the observed spectral width for reliable estimation of ε under non-precipitating conditions. It is found that in the lower tropospheric height region, values of ε are in the range of 10−6 to 10−3 m2 s−3. In summer and monsoon seasons the observed values of ε are larger than those in post-monsoon and winter seasons in the lower troposphere. A comparison of Cn2 observed with the wind profiler and that estimated using Radio Sonde/Radio Wind (RS/RW) data of nearby Met station Chikalthana has been made for the month of July 200

Investigation of the Antiasthmatic Properties of Ethanol Extract of Callophyllis japonica in Mice

Purpose: To determine whether an ethanol extract from Callophyllis japonica (C. japonica) could attenuate indices of airway inflammation in a murine model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma.Methods: The free radical scavenging activity of the C. japonica ethanol extracts (CJE) were investigated using an electron spin resonance (ESR) system. To make develop animal model of asthma, mice were sensitized and challenged with OVA.Results: CJE exhibited considerable scavenging activity of 71.08 ± 0.73, 79.11 ± 6.04%, 75.95 ± 7.01%, and 48.56 ± 5.96% of DPPH, alkyl, superoxide, and hydroxyl radicals, respectively. The successive intraperitoneal administration of CJE reduced the number of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, development of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), an increase in pulmonary Th2 cytokines, and allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE).Conclusion: Administration of CJE markedly alleviates all indices of airway inflammation. This study provides evidence that CJE plays a critical role in the amelioration of the pathogenetic process of allergic asthma in mice.Keywords: Asthma, Phenolic contents, Free radical scavenging, Airway hyper-responsiveness, Cytokines, Immunoglobulin

Magnetic Origin of Giant Magnetoelectricity in Doped Y-type Hexaferrite Ba0.5Sr1.5Zn2(Fe1-xAlx)(12)O-22

We investigated site-specific magnetic behaviors of multiferroic Ba0.5Sr1.5Zn2(Fe1-xAlx)(12)O-22 using Fe L-2,L-3-edge x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. The Al dopants mostly replace the Fe3+ ions at octahedral (O-h) sites, which contribute unquenched angular momenta through off-centering displacements. This replacement greatly reduces the magnetic anisotropy energy to change the magnetic order from a helical to a heliconical type with enhanced magnetoelectric susceptibility (alpha(ME)). The tetrahedral (T-d) Fe sites exhibit magnetic hysteresis distinguishable from that of the O-h sites, especially at low magnetic fields. These results provide essential clues for the heliconical order with a giant aME and multibit memory effects in the Al-doped Y-type hexaferrite.open1178sciescopu

Statistical Inference for Valued-Edge Networks: Generalized Exponential Random Graph Models

Across the sciences, the statistical analysis of networks is central to the production of knowledge on relational phenomena. Because of their ability to model the structural generation of networks, exponential random graph models are a ubiquitous means of analysis. However, they are limited by an inability to model networks with valued edges. We solve this problem by introducing a class of generalized exponential random graph models capable of modeling networks whose edges are valued, thus greatly expanding the scope of networks applied researchers can subject to statistical analysis

Grand Rounds: An Outbreak of Toxic Hepatitis among Industrial Waste Disposal Workers

CONTEXT: Industrial waste (which is composed of various toxic chemicals), changes to the disposal process, and addition of chemicals should all be monitored and controlled carefully in the industrial waste industry to reduce the health hazard to workers. CASE PRESENTATION: Five workers in an industrial waste plant developed acute toxic hepatitis, one of whom died after 3 months due to fulminant hepatitis. In the plant, we detected several chemicals with hepatotoxic potential, including pyridine, dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, and methylenedianiline. The workers had been working in the high-vapor-generating area of the plant, and the findings of pathologic examination showed typical features of acute toxic hepatitis. DISCUSSION: Infectious hepatitis and drug-induced hepatitis were excluded by laboratory findings, as well as the clinical course of hepatitis. All cases of toxic hepatitis in this plant developed after the change of the disposal process to thermochemical reaction–type treatment using unslaked lime reacted with industrial wastes. During this chemical reaction, vapor containing several toxic materials was generated. Although we could not confirm the definitive causative chemical, we suspect that these cases of hepatitis were caused by one of the hepatotoxic agents or by a synergistic interaction among several of them. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL OR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: In the industrial waste treatment process, the danger of developing toxic hepatitis should be kept in mind, because any subtle change of the treatment process can generate various toxic materials and threaten the workers’ health. A mixture of hepatotoxic chemicals can induce clinical manifestations that are quite different from those predicted by the toxic property of a single agent

Sphingosine 1-phosphate modulates antigen capture by murine langerhans cells via the S1P2 receptor subtype

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a pivotal role in the development of cutaneous contact hypersensitivity (CHS) and atopic dermatitis as they capture and process antigen and present it to T lymphocytes in the lymphoid organs. Recently, it has been indicated that a topical application of the sphingolipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) prevents the inflammatory response in CHS, but the molecular mechanism is not fully elucidated. Here we indicate that treatment of mice with S1P is connected with an impaired antigen uptake by Langerhans cells (LCs), the initial step of CHS. Most of the known actions of S1P are mediated by a family of five specific G protein-coupled receptors. Our results indicate that S1P inhibits macropinocytosis of the murine LC line XS52 via S1P2 receptor stimulation followed by a reduced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity. As down-regulation of S1P2 not only diminished S1P-mediated action but also enhanced the basal activity of LCs on antigen capture, an autocrine action of S1P has been assumed. Actually, S1P is continuously produced by LCs and secreted via the ATP binding cassette transporter ABCC1 to the extracellular environment. Consequently, inhibition of ABCC1, which decreased extracellular S1P levels, markedly increased the antigen uptake by LCs. Moreover, stimulation of sphingosine kinase activity, the crucial enzyme for S1P formation, is connected not only with enhanced S1P levels but also with diminished antigen capture. These results indicate that S1P is essential in LC homeostasis and influences skin immunity. This is of importance as previous reports suggested an alteration of S1P levels in atopic skin lesions

Surface and interface states of Bi2Se3 thin films investigated by optical second-harmonic generation and terahertz emission

We investigate the surface and interface states of Bi2Se3 thin films by using the second-harmonic generation technique. Distinct from the surface of bulk crystals, the film surface and interface show the isotropic azimuth dependence of second-harmonic intensity, which is attributed to the formation of randomly oriented domains on the in-plane. Based on the nonlinear susceptibility deduced from the model fitting, we determine that the surface band bending induced in a space charge region occurs more strongly at the film interface facing the Al2O3 substrate or capping layer compared with the interface facing the air. We demonstrate that distinct behavior of the terahertz electric field emitted from the samples can provide further information about the surface electronic state of Bi2Se3. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.open1133sciescopu

Ultrafast x-ray diffraction study of melt-front dynamics in polycrystalline thin films

Melting is a fundamental process of matter that is still not fully understood at the microscopic level. Here, we use time-resolved x-ray diffraction to examine the ultrafast melting of polycrystalline gold thin films using an optical laser pump followed by a delayed hard x-ray probe pulse. We observe the formation of an intermediate new diffraction peak, which we attribute to material trapped between the solid and melted states, that forms 50 ps after laser excitation and persists beyond 500 ps. The peak width grows rapidly for 50 ps and then narrows distinctly at longer time scales. We attribute this to a melting band originating from the grain boundaries and propagating into the grains. Our observation of this intermediate state has implications for the use of ultrafast lasers for ablation during pulsed laser deposition

A Prospective Evaluation of Quick Intraoperative Parathyroid Hormone Assay at the Time of Skin Closure in Predicting Clinically Relevant Hypocalcemia after Thyroidectomy

BACKGROUND: Post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia is a major contributing factor in delayed hospital discharge and dissuading surgeons from ambulatory thyroidectomy. We prospectively evaluated the accuracy and reliability of quick parathyroid hormone level measurement at skin closure (PTH-SC) in predicting clinically relevant hypocalcemia (i.e., patients requiring calcium +/- calcitriol supplements on hospital discharge). METHODS: Of the 117 patients who underwent a total or completion total thyroidectomy and PTH-SC, 17 (14.5 %) had hypocalcemic symptoms or adjusted calcium 1 pmol/L) had a higher specificity (95.0 %) and AUC (0.887) than serial calcium monitoring or PTH-D1 alone. Although 3/98 of patients with PTH-SC >1 pmol/L required calcium supplements on discharge, they required only the minimum amount to maintain normocalcemia. CONCLUSION: PTH-SC is an accurate and reliable means of predicting clinically relevant hypocalcemia. It would be reasonable to discharge those with PTH-SC >1 pmol/L on the same operative day as the risk of life-threatening hypocalcemia would seem unlikely.published_or_final_versio