1,028 research outputs found
Periods for flat algebraic connections
In previous work, we established a duality between the algebraic de Rham
cohomology of a flat algebraic connection on a smooth quasi-projective surface
over the complex numbers and the rapid decay homology of the dual connection
relying on a conjecture by C. Sabbah, which has been proved recently by T.
Mochizuki for algebraic connections in any dimension. In the present article,
we verify that Mochizuki's results allow to generalize these duality results to
arbitrary dimensions also
The Effect of Different Kind of Liquid Smoke Materials on the Quality of Smoke Flavored Catfish (Cryptopterus Bichircis)
The study aimed to observe the effect of different kind of raw materials of liquid smoke on the quality of smoke flavored catfish (Cryptopterus bichircis). The experimental was designed as completely randomized design (CRD). The treatment was soaking catfish into different kind of solution of liquid smoke, namely liquid smoke pyrolyzed from rice husk (A1), oil palm midrib (A2), and coconut shell (A3). The catfish were soaked into the liquid smoke at a concentration of 6% for 60 minutes. Parameters to evaluate the quality of smoke flavored catfish produced were the sensory value of appearance; smell; texture; and taste, proximate composition, the content of total phenol, total acid, and pH values. The results showed that the different kind of smoke source was indicating significant effect on aroma, but not on appearance, flavor, and texture of the smoke flavored catfish. The chemical characteristics were significantly affected on the pH value and the content of total phenols, but not significantly affected on water content and the content of total acid. Based on the results of the study concluded that the best treatment was the using of the raw material of liquid smoke coconut shell (A3) which have the characteristics of smoked fish with 7.00, flavor at 7.61, texture at 6.71, and aroma at 7.29 and containing a total phenol of 5.28 ppm and pH. 4.63
Antibacterial effects and microbial quality of commonly consumed herbs in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
© All Rights Reserved. Herbal plants are traditionally known to exhibit antimicrobial properties and used in several countries as an alternative to modern pharmaceutical drugs. This study investigated the antibacterial properties and microbial quality of common herbs used in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In total, 20 herb samples of parsley (Petroselinum crispum), basil (Ocimum basilicum), sage (Salvia officinalis), mint (Mentha spicata), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) were randomly collected and analysed for the total aerobic bacteria count, yeasts and molds, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa by standard plate counting method using selective and differential culture media. Antibacterial effects of herbs on E.coli, S. aureus, Salmonella and P. aeruginosa were tested by disk diffusion method. The microbial analysis of herbs revealed that 50% of herb samples exceeded the world health organization (WHO) limit for the total aerobic bacteria count, and 75% exceeded the permissible limit for total molds and yeast count. 75% of herb samples were found contaminated with Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp, 65% with Shigella, and 10% exceeded the WHO permissible limit for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, all herb samples were found to be within the WHO acceptable limit for Staphylococcus aureus. All herbal extracts exhibited some form of antibacterial activity against E. coli, S. aureus, Salmonella and P. aeruginosa except for parsley, which had no inhibitory effect on S. aureus. However, the results of microbial quality suggest that most of the analysed herbs had unsafe microbial contamination that exceeded the World Health Organization permissible limits. Therefore, strict measures to reduce the risk of microbial contamination by applying Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) need to be implemented on local and imported herbs prior to consumption
Cosmic ray short burst observed with the Global Muon Detector Network (GMDN) on June 22, 2015
We analyze the short cosmic ray intensity increase ("cosmic ray burst": CRB)
on June 22, 2015 utilizing a global network of muon detectors and derive the
global anisotropy of cosmic ray intensity and the density (i.e. the
omnidirectional intensity) with 10-minute time resolution. We find that the CRB
was caused by a local density maximum and an enhanced anisotropy of cosmic rays
both of which appeared in association with Earth's crossing of the heliospheric
current sheet (HCS). This enhanced anisotropy was normal to the HCS and
consistent with a diamagnetic drift arising from the spatial gradient of cosmic
ray density, which indicates that cosmic rays were drifting along the HCS from
the north of Earth. We also find a significant anisotropy along the HCS,
lasting a few hours after the HCS crossing, indicating that cosmic rays
penetrated into the inner heliosphere along the HCS. Based on the latest
geomagnetic field model, we quantitatively evaluate the reduction of the
geomagnetic cut-off rigidity and the variation of the asymptotic viewing
direction of cosmic rays due to a major geomagnetic storm which occurred during
the CRB and conclude that the CRB is not caused by the geomagnetic storm, but
by a rapid change in the cosmic ray anisotropy and density outside the
magnetosphere.Comment: accepted for the publication in the Astrophysical Journa
Multiple-length-scale elastic instability mimics parametric resonance of nonlinear oscillators
Spatially confined rigid membranes reorganize their morphology in response to
the imposed constraints. A crumpled elastic sheet presents a complex pattern of
random folds focusing the deformation energy while compressing a membrane
resting on a soft foundation creates a regular pattern of sinusoidal wrinkles
with a broad distribution of energy. Here, we study the energy distribution for
highly confined membranes and show the emergence of a new morphological
instability triggered by a period-doubling bifurcation. A periodic
self-organized focalization of the deformation energy is observed provided an
up-down symmetry breaking, induced by the intrinsic nonlinearity of the
elasticity equations, occurs. The physical model, exhibiting an analogy with
parametric resonance in nonlinear oscillator, is a new theoretical toolkit to
understand the morphology of various confined systems, such as coated materials
or living tissues, e.g., wrinkled skin, internal structure of lungs, internal
elastica of an artery, brain convolutions or formation of fingerprints.
Moreover, it opens the way to new kind of microfabrication design of
multiperiodic or chaotic (aperiodic) surface topography via self-organization.Comment: Submitted for publicatio
Verdier specialization via weak factorization
Let X in V be a closed embedding, with V - X nonsingular. We define a
constructible function on X, agreeing with Verdier's specialization of the
constant function 1 when X is the zero-locus of a function on V. Our definition
is given in terms of an embedded resolution of X; the independence on the
choice of resolution is obtained as a consequence of the weak factorization
theorem of Abramovich et al. The main property of the specialization function
is a compatibility with the specialization of the Chern class of the complement
V-X. With the definition adopted here, this is an easy consequence of standard
intersection theory. It recovers Verdier's result when X is the zero-locus of a
function on V. Our definition has a straightforward counterpart in a motivic
group. The specialization function and the corresponding Chern class and
motivic aspect all have natural `monodromy' decompositions, for for any X in V
as above. The definition also yields an expression for Kai Behrend's
constructible function when applied to (the singularity subscheme of) the
zero-locus of a function on V.Comment: Minor revision. To appear in Arkiv f\"or Matemati
New derivatives of sulfonylhydrazone as potential antitumor agents: Design, synthesis and cheminformatics evaluation
Phosphoinositide 3-kinase α (PI3Kα) is a propitious target for designing anticancer drugs. A series of new N\u27-(diphenylmethylene)benzenesulfonohydrazide was synthesized and characterized using FT-IR, NMR (1H and 13C), HRMS, and elemental analysis. Target compounds exhibited an antiproliferative effect against the human colon carcinoma (HCT-116) cell line. Our cheminformatics analysis indicated that the para-tailored derivatives [p-NO2 (3) and p-CF3 (7)] have better ionization potentials based on calculated Moran autocorrelations and ionization potentials. Subsequent in vitro cell proliferation assays validated our cheminformatics results by providing experimental evidence that both derivatives 3 and 7 exhibited improved antiproliferative activities against HCT-116. Hence, our results emphasized the importance of electron-withdrawing groups and hydrogen bond-acceptors in the rational design of small-molecule chemical ligands targeting PI3Kα. These results agreed with the induced-fit docking against PI3Kα, highlighting the role of p-substituted aromatic rings in guiding the ligand-PI3Kα complex formation, by targeting a hydrophobic pocket in the ligand-binding site and forming π-stacking interactions with a nearby tryptophan residue
Translation of immunomodulatory therapy to treat chronic heart failure: Preclinical studies to first in human
BACKGROUND: Inflammation has been associated with progression and complications of chronic heart failure (HF) but no effective therapy has yet been identified to treat this dysregulated immunologic state. The selective cytopheretic device (SCD) provides extracorporeal autologous cell processing to lessen the burden of inflammatory activity of circulating leukocytes of the innate immunologic system.
AIM: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the SCD as an extracorporeal immunomodulatory device on the immune dysregulated state of HF. HF.
METHODS AND RESULTS: SCD treatment in a canine model of systolic HF or HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) diminished leukocyte inflammatory activity and enhanced cardiac performance as measured by left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction and stroke volume (SV) up to 4 weeks after treatment initiation. Translation of these observations in first in human, proof of concept clinical study was evaluated in a patient with severe HFrEFHFrEF ineligible for cardiac transplantation or LV LV assist device (LVAD) due to renal insufficiency and right ventricular dysfunction. Six hour SCD treatments over 6 consecutive days resulted in selective removal of inflammatory neutrophils and monocytes and reduction in key plasma cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α),), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1. These immunologic changes were associated with significant improvements in cardiac power output, right ventricular stroke work index, cardiac index and LVSV index…. Stabilization of renal function with progressive volume removal permitted successful LVAD implantation.
CONCLUSION: This translational research study demonstrates a promising immunomodulatory approach to improve cardiac performance in HFrEFHFrEF and supports the important role of inflammation in the progression of HFHF
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